"Christopher Stasheff - Rogue Wizard 07 - A Wizard In Midgard" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stasheff Christopher)

"No we don't," Alea said sharply-or as sharply as she could with the rope
digging into her. She caught as much of a breath as she could and told him,
"Women hate being forced, young man. If we could get revenge on a man, we
would-the very worst revenge we could take, I promise you!" She said it with
such vehemence that both boys recoiled. Jorak's eyes wide with surprise and
apprehension: "But ... but the big boys said. . ."
"They said what they thought others expected to hear!" Alea snapped. "Have you
asked a woman? Believe me, even if we're willing, there are precious few men who
are good enough lovers to make it much of a pleasure to us!"
"You're lying!" Rokir protested. "Everyone knows it's fun, that the pleasure
just happens!"
"It takes patience and skill," Alea contradicted, "and that means years of
learning-not that I'd have a chance to know!" The bitterness in her voice
surprised even herself-not that it should have. That bitterness made the boys
recoil again, though, wide-eyed and with guilt shadowing their faces.
Alea throttled back her anger-if they could feel badly about what they'd tried
to do, they were good boys underneath. If she could reach that goodness ...
"It's true, lads," she said, more gently. "Ask any woman. In fact, ask as many
women as you can. You might do it well when you get the chance, that way."
The boys glanced at each other, then looked away. Rokir sent a quick look at
Alea, but couldn't hold it and looked down at his toes.
"You can come down, then,"Jorak said gruffly. "We won't hurt you."
"Come down?" Alea couldn't help smiling. "That'll take a bit of work. Turn away,
please."
Jorak frowned. "Why?"
"Because I'm going to have to kick high to get a leg over that branch, if I'm
going to get back up on it-and I have to, I can't just untie myself while I'm
hanging."
The glint came back into Rokir's eye, though it was faint. "Why should we turn
away for that?"
"Would you want me looking up at you if you didn't have your leggins on?" Alea
asked, and at the looks of horror and embarrassment that crossed their faces,
"No, I thought not. Be good lads, now, and turn away for a minute or two."
Shame-faced, they shuffled around to face away from the tree.
Alea kicked high and managed to get a leg back up on the limb-she'd been hanging
right next to it, after all. She managed to swing herself up, blessing her
tomboy days, and clawed her way up the trunk until she was sitting again. She
hugged the trunk, arms tense while the rest of her went limp with relief.
But she couldn't afford to let the boys see her weakness. She pulled herself
together, swung both feet up on the limb, and tucked her skirts around her. "All
right, you can turn back now."
They turned, then stared. "But you're still up there!"
"I'll come down when I'm feeling strong enough," Alea told them. "Hanging from a
tree wasn't the worst fright I've ever had, but it was bad enough."
"Why?" Rokir frowned, really not understanding. "Because the rope could have
broken, or the knot could have worked loose," Alea said, her tone tart, "and you
two ungainly louts might not have been able to catch me!" Worse, they might
have.
They winced at the rebuke, and she was instantly sorry. "I don't really mean to
be sharp, lads." She mustn't call them boys, not when they were beginning to