"Lawrence Watt-Evans - Dragon Weather" - читать интересную книгу автора (Watt-Evans Lawrence)

while, with Grandsir.тАЭ
тАЬHmpf.тАЭ She marched on across the rocky yard,
toward their thatch-roofed home.
Grandsir looked down at Arlian. тАЬEager to see
your father and brother back?тАЭ he asked.
Arlian nodded. тАЬTell me more about the
dragons,тАЭ he said.
His grandfather laughed. тАЬThatтАЩs my boy!тАЭ he
said. тАЬWhat do you want to know?тАЭ
тАЬHave you ever seen a dragon, Grandsir?тАЭ
The old man shook his head. тАЬOf course not,тАЭ he
said. тАЬIтАЩm still alive, am I not? There arenтАЩt many
who see dragons and live to tell of it!тАЭ
тАЬThere must be some people who see them, or
how would we know anything about dragons?тАЭ
Arlian asked.
тАЬA fair question,тАЭ his grandfather said, smiling.
He glanced at the water-haulers, judged it would
still be a while before they reached the village, and
settled down cross-legged on the ledge, into a better
position for storytelling. Arlian settled beside him.
тАЬYes,тАЭ ArlianтАЩs grandfather said, тАЬthere have been
a few people who saw dragons and lived to tell
about it. Most of them were at a safe distance, and
the dragons simply didnтАЩt notice them, but there
have been a fewтАжтАЭ His voice trailed off as he looked
to the west, at the approaching clouds. He frowned.
тАЬA few what, Grandsir?тАЭ Arlian looked, trying to
see what his grandfather was staring at.
The old man shook himself. тАЬNothing,тАЭ he said. тАЬI
just donтАЩt like this weather.тАЭ Then he smiled at
Arlian, and said, тАЬOf course, there were a few who
got a good close look at the dragons. There might
even be some of them who are still alive today.тАЭ
Arlian nodded. тАЬFrom that village in the
Sandalwood Hills, you mean?тАЭ
тАЬOh, no.тАЭ Grandsir shook his head. тАЬNothing like
that; I saw that village, and there wasnтАЩt so much as
a rat left alive there, just bones and cinders. But
there are old stories, very old stories, about dragon
venom.тАЭ
тАЬVenom?тАЭ Arlian frowned. As Grandsir had said,
most of the adults in the village didnтАЩt like talking
about the dragons; there were so many
superstitions about them that most people thought
it safer not to discuss them at all. Dragons were
magical, and magic was wicked and untrustworthy,
and speaking too much about it could attract
misfortune.
Still, Arlian had thought he had a reasonable