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

They had walked all the way past the Market District to the Well of Surcease. Sylvia and Morgot
each took a cup from the attendant and filled it, spilling some toward the Lady's Chapel for the Lady, then
sipping at it, drawing the time out. Myra took their offering to the poor box outside the chapel door, then
sat on the well coping, looking sulky. Stavia knew that Myra just wanted to get it over with. There was no
necessity for stopping at the well. The water was purely symbolic, at least when drunk directly from the
well like this, and offered no real consolation except a reminder that surcease would come if one didnтАЩt
fight it. тАЬAccept grief,тАЭ the priestess said at services for the lost ones. тАЬAccept grief, but do not nurse it. In
time it will go.тАЭ At the moment, that was hard to remember, much less understand.
тАЬWe all have to do things we donтАЩt want to do,тАЭ Morgot had said. тАЬAll of us here in WomenтАЩs
Country. Sometimes they are things that hurt us to do. We accept the hurt because the alternative would
be worse. We have many reminders to keep us aware of that. The Council ceremonies. The play before
summer carnival. The desolationтАЩs are there to remind us of pain, and the well is there to remind us that
the pain will pass. . . .тАЭ
Stavia wasnтАЩt sure she could ever learn to find comfort in the thought, though Morgot said she would
if she tried. Now she merely took off her boiled wool mittens and dabbled her fingers in the water,
pretending there were fishes in the fountain. The water came from high up in the mountains where the
snow lay deep almost all year long, and there were fishes up there, people said. The hatchers were putting
more of them in every year. Trout fishes. And some other kind Stavia couldnтАЩt remember.
тАЬThere could be fishes,тАЭ she told Beneda.
тАЬThere are fishes in the big marsh, too,тАЭ said Beneda. тАЬTeacher Linda told me.тАЭ
тАЬVain hope,тАЭ sniffed Sylvia, overhearing her. тАЬThey've been telling us there are fishes in the marsh
for twenty years now, but nobody's caught any. Still too contaminated.тАЭ
тАЬIt might take several more decades before they've multiplied enough to be harvestable,тАЭ Morgot
said. тАЬBut there are some new things living there. When I was by there last, I saw a crawfish.тАЭ
тАЬA crawfish!тАЭ
тАЬI'm pretty sure it was a crawfish. I've seen them in some of the other marshes. With armor on the
outside. With lots of legs and two bigger claws in front?тАЭ
 тАЬA crawfish,тАЭ Sylvia marveled. тАЬMy grandmother used to tell me a funny story about one of her
grandmother line eating crawfishes.тАЭ
тАЬThe thing I saw didnтАЩt look good to eat,тАЭ Morgot remarked, making a face. тАЬVery hard on the
outside, it was.тАЭ
тАЬI think the meatтАЩs inside.тАЭ
Deliberately, Morgot rinsed the cup from the overflow spout and set it down. The fountain attendant
came forward politely to take it, replacing it with a clean one. тАЬCondolences, matron.тАЭ
тАЬThank you, servitor. We can always hope, canтАЩt we?тАЭ
тАЬCertainly one can, matron. I will pray to the Lady for your son.тАЭ The man turned away and busied
himself with his cups. He was very old, perhaps seventy or more, a grandsir with white hair and a little
tuft of beard. He winked at Stavia, and she smiled at him. Stavia liked grandsirs. They had interesting
stories to tell about garrison country and warrior sagas and how the warriors lived.
тАЬBest get along,тАЭ said Morgot, looking at the sun. The dial above the fountain said almost noon. She
picked Jerby up once more.
тАЬI want to walk!тАЭ he announced, struggling in her arms. тАЬI'm not a baby.тАЭ
тАЬOf course you arenтАЩt,тАЭ she said lamely, putting him down once more. тАЬYou're a big boy going to
join his warrior father.тАЭ
His thickly clad little form led them down the long hill and into the ceremonial plaza. Once there,
Morgot knelt to wipe Jerby's face with a handkerchief and set the earflaps of his hat straight. She gave
Myra a look, then Stavia. тАЬStavia, donтАЩt disgrace me,тАЭ she said.
Stavia shivered. It felt as though Morgot had slapped her, even though she knew that wasnтАЩt what her
mother meant. Disgrace Mother? On an occasion like this? Of course not! Never! She wouldnтАЩt be able to
stand the shame of doing something like that. She reached down inside herself and gave herself a shake,