"Sheri S. Tepper - Gate to Women's Country" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tepper Sherri)

crumpled handkerchief.
Morgot bowed, receiving the words with dignity.
Sylvia said, тАЬMorgot, are you going to be all right?тАЭ
Stavia's mother nodded, then whispered, тАЬAs long as I donтАЩt try to talk.тАЭ
тАЬWell donтАЩt. Just bow and keep your veil straight. Here, let me carry Jerby.тАЭ
тАЬNo!тАЭ Morgot stepped away, hugging the little boy through his quilted coat. тАЬSorry Syl, I just . . .
want to hold on to him as long as I can.тАЭ
тАЬStupid of me,тАЭ Sylvia dithered, turning red. тАЬOf course.тАЭ
The six of them went down the hill in a quiet procession: Morgot carrying Jerby, with Sylvia
alongside, then Myra by herself, then Beneda and Stavia, who was trying not to cry and to look dignified
at the same time, and failing at both. Beneda giggled, and Myra cast them an angry red-eyed glare over
one shoulder.
тАЬYou little girls behave yourselves.тАЭ
тАЬI am behaving myself,тАЭ Stavia said, then more softly, тАЬBeneda, you stop getting me in trouble.тАЭ
Beneda often said things or did things suddenly that got them both in trouble, though she never meant to.
Stavia was more self-conscious. When Stavia got into trouble, it was generally over something she had
thought about for a very long time.
тАЬI wasnтАЩt getting you in trouble. I was just laughing.тАЭ
тАЬWell, itтАЩs not funny.тАЭ
тАЬYou look funny. Your face is all twisted up.тАЭ Beneda mimicked Stavia, screwing up her eyes and
mouth.
тАЬYour face would get twisted up, too, if you had to give your little brother away.тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt have a little brother. Besides, everybody has to. It isnтАЩt just you.тАЭ
тАЬJerby's not everybody. Joshua will really miss him.тАЭ
тАЬJoshua's nice.тАЭ Beneda thought about this for half a block. тАЬJoshua's nicer than Minsning. I wish our
family had a servitor like Joshua. Joshua can find things when you lose them. He found my bracelet that
Mother gave me. He found Jerby that time he was lost, too.тАЭ
Stavia remembered hysteria and weeping and Joshua calmly concentrating then going to the empty
cistern and finding Jerby curled up in it asleep. тАЬMaybe we can do something to make it up to him.тАЭ
тАЬMaybe Mother will have another baby boy,тАЭ said Myra, not looking back.
тАЬSheтАЩs had three already,тАЭ said Stavia. тАЬShe says thatтАЩs enough.тАЭ
 тАЬI didnтАЩt know that,тАЭ Beneda said, looking curiously at the women. тАЬMy mom only had one. And
then thereтАЩs me and Susan and Liza.тАЭ
тАЬMother had Myra first, then Habby, then Byram, then me, then Jerby,тАЭ Stavia confided. тАЬMyra's
seventeen, and that means Habby and Byram are thirteen and twelve, because they're four years and five
years younger than Myra, and thatтАЩs how we keep track. How old is your brother? WhatтАЩs his name?тАЭ
Beneda shook her head. тАЬAbout the same age as your brothers, I think. His name is Chernon. HeтАЩs the
oldest. He went to the warriors when I was real little, but I donтАЩt think heтАЩs fifteen yet. Something
happened and he doesnтАЩt visit us anymore. He goes to Aunt Erica's house. Mom doesnтАЩt talk about him.тАЭ
тАЬSome families donтАЩt,тАЭ Myra offered. тАЬSome families just try to forget about them unless they come
home.тАЭ
тАЬI wonтАЩt forget Jerby, тАЬ Stavia announced. тАЬI wonтАЩt.тАЭ Despite all her good resolutions, she heard the
tears in her voice and knew her eyes would spill over.
Myra came back to them abruptly. тАЬI didnтАЩt say you would,тАЭ she said angrily. тАЬJerby will be home
twice every year, for visits, during the carnival holidays. Nobody's going to forget him. I just said some
families do, thatтАЩs all. I didnтАЩt mean us.тАЭ She turned and stamped back to her place ahead of them.
тАЬBesides, maybe heтАЩll return when heтАЩs fifteen,тАЭ comforted Beneda. тАЬThen you can visit him,
whatever house heтАЩs assigned to. You can even travel to visit him if he goes to some other town. Lots of
boys do come back.тАЭ
тАЬSome,тАЭ amended Myra, turning to glare at them with a peculiar twist to her mouth. тАЬSome do.тАЭ