"Mary Stewart - The Arthurian Saga 02 - The Hollow Hills" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stewart Mary)

I told him the story then, exactly as it had happened, with the tale I had given the goat-herd. "So you
see, Gandar, I sowed that seed myself. The nobles and the King's advisers must know the truth, but the
common folk will find the tale of magic, and a blameless Duchess, better to believe тАФ and, God knows,
easier тАФ than the truth."

He was silent for a while. "So the Duchess knew."

"Or we would not have got in," I said. "It shall not be said, Gandar, that this was a rape. No, the
Duchess knew."

He was silent again, for rather longer. Then he said, heavily: "Treachery is a hard word."

"It is a true one. The Duke was my father's friend, and he trusted me. It would never have occurred to
him that I would help Uther against him. He knew how little I cared for Uther's lusts. He could not guess
that my gods demanded that I should help him satisfy this one. Even though I could not help myself, it
was still treachery, and we shall suffer for it, all of us."

"Not the King." He said it positively. "I know him. I doubt if the King will feel more than a passing guilt.
You are the one who is suffering for it, Merlin, just as you are the one who calls it by its name."

"To you," I said. "To other men this will remain a story of enchantment, like the dragons which fought at
my bidding under Dinas Emrys, and the Giants' Dance which floated on air and water to Amesbury. But
you have seen how Merlin the King's enchanter fared that night." I paused, and shifted my hand on the
coverlet, but shook my head at the question in his face. "No, no, let be. It's better already. Gandar, one
other truth about that night must be known. There will be a child. Take it as hope, or take it as prophecy,
you will see that, come Christmas, a boy will be born. Has he said when he will marry her?"

"As soon as it's decent. Decent!" He repeated the word on a short bark of laughter, then cleared his
throat. "The Duke's body is here, but in a day or two they'll carry him to Tinta-gel to bury him. Then,
after the eight days' mourning, Uther is to marry the Duchess."

I thought for a moment. "Gorlois had a son by his first wife. Cador, he was called. He must be about
fifteen. Have you heard what is to become of him?"

"He's here. He was in the fight, beside his father. No one knows what has passed between him and the
King, but the King gave an amnesty to all the troops that fought against him in the action at Dimilioc, and
he has said, besides, that Cador will be confirmed Duke of Cornwall."

"Yes," I said. "And Ygraine's son and Uther's will be King."

"WithCornwall his bitter enemy?"

"If he is," I said wearily, "who is to blame him? The payment may well be too long and too heavy, even
for treachery."

"Well," said Gandar, suddenly brisk, gathering his robe about him, "that's with time. And now, young
man, you'd better get some more rest. Would you like a draught?"

"Thank you, no."