"Sheri S Tepper - The End of the Game_txt" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tepper Sherri)

I began to be ubiquitous around the fire. When and if the rainhat roots and the shivery-green seeds were put together, the juice would have to get into their food somehow. Once they were asleep for some little time, the tether could be pounded on a rock until it frayed through. Then I could get a knife off one of them and cut the harness. King KelverТs gift was in my pocket, the scent bottle in the shape of a frog. That would hold a lot more of the juices than was needed.

Invisible. I began bashing up some bark into strips to make a basket. Right away Porvius sent one of the men over to see what was going on, and I ignored him while threading webwillow twigs and bark pieces together. It wouldnТt have fooled a dam for a minute. Any child knows you canТt make basket of webwillow bark, for it breaks as it dries. Wet, however, it looked all right, and he went mumbling back to the fire, while I went on bashing, interrupting it from time to time to wander about and dig roots. In the late afternoon when it began to get dark, I picked the shivery-green seeds and bashed them up with the rainhat root on the same hollow rock IТd been bashing things on all day. A piece of rainhat leaf made a spoon and a funnel, all in one, and the juice went in the scent bottle, which had been previously emptied in the thicket. It made the thicket smell better, which by that time it needed.

Now there was enough juice to put them to sleep for a season, about. Well, for ten days at least, I thought, not realizing how much webwillow pulp and fragments had remained on the rock to adulterate my brew. My own ignorance saved me. An experienced herbalist might not have tried it without better equipment.

I was just getting ready to go over to the fire once more, this time to put the juice in their stewЧIТd have to go without eating anything tonight myselfЧwhen there was a hail from the mountain and I looked up to see a Herald in full panoply and two people with blindfolds on. It was Joramal Trandle and Murzy, but not Mendost. Bloster was swearing in a tight, ugly voice.

Another thing Murzy had told me about invisibility. If you do what you always do when other people are distracted, they simply wonТt see you. So I kept right on moving toward the fire, scent bottle in hand, reached for the stew spoon, and took a biteЧburning my mouthЧthen dumped the juice in it as the spoon went back. All the men were watching the Herald. None of them was watching me.

УLet all in sound of my voice give heed,Ф cried the Herald. УMendost of Stoneflight Demesne, Armiger, against whom Game has been called by Porvius Bloster, Tragamor, denies any interest in the person of Jinian, sister, person of Stoneflight DemesneЧФ

УI told you so,Ф I muttered.

УЧand denies challenge to Game, saying let Porvius do to the person Jinian what Porvius will, for he cares not. However, on hearing of the abduction of Jinian of Stoneflight Demesne, did one Joramal Trandle, Negotiator for King Kelver of the DragonТs Flight Demesne, assert right of interest in the dispute. I bring here Joramal Trandle and one Murzy, servant to the person Jinian.Ф

УThat coward!Ф yelled one of the men. Porvius didnТt say anything. He had a confused look on his face, as though he couldnТt track what was happening. Well, IТd tried to tell him. It occurred to me then that the dams and I might have outwitted ourselves. Perhaps my private negotiations with Joramal had ruined any value I might have had to Mendost. Certainly he had wanted to use me for something, some bargaining point. Well, now it was up to Joramal.

Joramal called, a little uncertainly, УIf we may have the blindfolds removed, we would Negotiate for the person Jinian.Ф

УItТs a bluff,Ф snarled Porvius, turning to glare at me.

УTruly, Gamesman, it is not,Ф I said, trying to look meek and inconspicuous and not worth killing. УMendost simply doesnТt care what you do to me. He wouldnТt care if you killed the whole family.Ф He hadnТt sucked on the dream crystal since the night before, not that IТd seen. Perhaps the effect had weakened enough to let him deal with reality. I crossed my fingers and prayed to several newly invented deities.

He snarled and swore, but after a few minutes he allowed the blindfolds to come off. Joramal went with Porvius into his tent, and Murzy was allowed to come about a manheight from me. Not close enough to give me anything, though sheТd brought a bundle. Looking at her face, I was mightily distressed. I had never seen Murzy this upset before, but she was really frightened. I couldnТt tell whether it was because of my predicament or something else, but whatever it was, it made me pay very close attention to what she said.

УJinian,Ф she began softly, fixing me with her eyes. УThis is a dreadful thing to have happened.Ф

The man who was listening yawned and took a step or two away, never taking his eyes off her.

УIТve brought you some warmer clothes,Ф she said, pointing to the bundle. УMore suitable.Ф There was a long pause. Then, УYou know how important it is for you to go to Xammer, donТt you?Ф

УYes, Murzy,Ф I said. There was a message there. I didnТt understand it, but I jotted it down in memory.

УWhat have you been doing to pass the time?Ф she asked in a grandmotherly voice.

УOh,Ф I said, УI found some rainhat twigs and some bark of shivery-green, and IТve been making a basket,Ф pointing at the half-finished webwillow basket next to the hollow stone.

She gave me a look that said she understood what IТd been up to. УItТs good to keep busy,Ф she said. УYour task should be finished as soon as possible, Jinian. You should keep in practice.Ф

Then there was yelling from the tent and Joramal stumbled out, very white and with his mouth narrowed to a tight line. УTell Mendost he has until dawn!Ф screamed Porvius. УUntil dawn. Then this one dies, and her head will be carried to Stoneflight Demesne as challenge of Great Game upon all who dwell there!Ф

УYou understand that King Kelver may bring Game against you,Ф Joramal was saying. УAgainst you and yours. This is his betrothedЕФ

Murzy was saying quietly, under the other noise, УThe Demesne is not a healthy place just now, not for me or mine, tha or thine. The east is safer than the south.Ф

УNo King of honor would betroth a child!Ф Porvius screamed, making little stones leap around under JoramalТs feet. УThis is another of MendostТs dishonorable, craven tricks. Put the blindfolds back on them and get them out of here.Ф Well, he was back in his own dream of events again.

Murzy, however, was not distracted. She tapped her chest several times, mysteriously, then was blindfolded and led away. Grommy went with her, treacherously abandoning me, and I wasnТt sad to see him go. That was one less thing to worry about. I sat down quietly before my own tent and waited for the men to eat their dinner.