"Lawrence Watt - Evans - The Guardswoman" - читать интересную книгу автора (Watt-Evans Lawrence)

When I finished my ale I came back here and sat around being utterly miserable. I felt
completely left out; it was as bad as when the village kids wouldn't play with me because I
was so big and strong. I didn't exactly cry myself to sleep, but I sniffled a little.

The next day all my barracks mates were back, laughing and joking and feeling good. I m
some remarks, and Kelder Arl's son said, "Well, Shennar, at some of the houses there are b
for rent, too." And everyone laughed.

I didn't think it was very fanny, myself. And I certainly didn't take it seriously. I don't
understand why the men all go to the brothels, anyway-they're mostly decent people, and co
find women elsewhere. Some of them have women elsewhere, but they go to Whore Street
anyway.

Men are strange.

But it did get me thinking that what I needed was some nice young man I could visit ever
sixnight. It wouldn't really do to bed with one of my fellow soldiers; I wouldn't feel right ab
that. And besides, most of them aren't that nice. I wanted a civilian.

So I started looking for one. I wore my civilian clothes and went to the most respectable
inns and shops and tried to act like a lady.

Honestly, Mother, you'd think that in a city this size, it wouldn't be hard to find a good m
but I certainly didn't manage it. For sixnight after sixnight I looked, and I found plenty of
drunkards and foul-smelling wretches, and big stupid oxen, and men who might have been a
right if they weren't so small I was afraid that I'd break them in half if I ever hugged them.

And, well, I gave up, and here I am writing this letter while the men are at the brothels
again.

What is it that makes them so eager to spend all their money there?

Mother, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to seal this up for the messenger, and
I'm going to go down to Whore Street and ask someone. Not one of my barracks mates, but
someone who works there. I'll just ask why the men all go there every sixnight.

Maybe if I can figure that out, it'll give me some idea what I should do!

Love,

Shennar

Dear Mother,

I met the most wonderful man! And you'll never guess where.

I'd gone down to Whore Street, the way I told you I was planning to, and at first I just
walked up and down the street-it's only seven blocks long-just looking at the brothels and
listening to the people. But after a while that wasn't getting me anywhere, so I got up my ne
and went up to one of the doors and knocked.