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

"Yes. She saw no future for you near the King. So she made sure you would be near his son."

"A baby?" His voice was blank. He sounded horrified, and far from flattered. "You mean that if the King
won't acknowledge the child, you'll have to keep it? I don't understand. Oh, I can see why my
grandmother concerns herself, and even why you do, but not why she dragged me into it! What sort of
future does she think there is in looking after a king's bastard that won't be acknowledged?"
"Not a king's bastard," I said. "A king."

There was silence but for the fluttering of the fire. I had not spoken with power, but with the full certainty
of knowledge. He stared, open-mouthed, and shaken.

"Ralf," I said, "you came to me in anger, and you stayed from duty, and you have served me as well and
as faithfully as you knew how. You were no part of my vision, and I don't know if your coming here, or
the wounds that held you here with me, were part of God's plan; I have had no message from my gods
since Gorlois died. But I do know now, after these last weeks, that there is no one I would sooner
choose to help me. Not with the kind of service you have given till now: when this winter comes it isn't a
servant I shall need; I shall need a fighting man who is loyal, not to me or to the Queen, but to the next
High King."

He was pale, and stammering. "I had no idea. I thought...I thought..."

"That you were suffering a kind of exile? In a way, we both were. I told you it was a waiting time." I
looked down at my hands. It was dark now outside the cave; the sun had gone, and dusk drew in. "Nor
do I know clearly what lies ahead, except danger and loss and treachery, and in the end some glory."

He sat quiet, without moving, till I roused myself from my thoughts and smiled at him. "So now, perhaps,
you will accept that I don't doubt your courage?"

"Yes. I'm sorry I spoke as I did. I didn't understand." He hesitated, chewing his lip, then sat forward,
hands on knees. "My lord, you really don't know why the Queen has sent for you now?"

"No."

"But because you know that your vision of the birth was a true one, you know that you will go safely this
time to Cornwall, and return?"

"You could say so."

"Then if your magic is always true, might it not be because I go with you to protect you that you make
the journey safely?"

I laughed. "I suppose it's a good quality in a fighting man, never to admit defeat. But can't you see, taking
you would only be taking two risks instead of one. Because my bones tell me I shall be safe, it doesn't
mean that you will."

"If you can be disguised, so can I. If you even say that we must go as beggars and sleep in the
ditches...whatever the danger..." He swallowed, sounding all at once very young. "What is it to you if I
run a risk? You are to be safe, you told me so. So taking me can't endanger you, and that's all that
matters. Won't you let me take my own risks? Please?"