"Martha Wells - City of Bones" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wells Martha)

copper tea decanter.
 Sagai was telling the others about their adventure.
тАЬThatтАЩs worrisome,тАЭ Miram said, with a critical glance at Khat. тАЬTo go into the Waste when you
donтАЩt know what this person wants.тАЭ She was younger than Sagai, and had come from a well-to-do
family in Kenniliar who had not entirely approved her choice of a learned but poor husband. When Sagai
had decided to come to Charisat, he had tried to convince her to stay behind until he returned with his
fortune, or at least enough coin to buy himself a place in the Kenniliar ScholarsтАЩ Guild. She hadnтАЩt taken
the suggestion well at all. She didnтАЩt like Charisat, but she preferred it to living with her disapproving
family in Kenniliar and wondering every day if her husband was alive or dead.
тАЬIn the Waste, that Patrician will be helpless,тАЭ Khat pointed out. Miram didnтАЩt entirely approve of
Sagai working the relic trade because she thought it was dangerous. Khat couldnтАЩt argue that point with
her; she was perfectly right, it was dangerous. She didnтАЩt entirely approve of Khat sometimes, either, and
he had to agree with her on that score, too. тАЬI can walk out of it alive, and he canтАЩt, guards or no
guards.тАЭ
тАЬHis guards could shoot you,тАЭ Netta pointed out helpfully. тАЬThey donтАЩt carry a gun for their own
amusement.тАЭ
Khat didnтАЩt answer. He knew that drawing the attention of an upper-tier citizen was not particularly
good, but the last thing he wanted to do was tell them his real reason for accepting the commission.
The door flew open suddenly, and their neighbor Ris stood there, panting. The painfully thin,
dark-haired boy had obviously been running. After a moment he managed to say, тАЬLushanтАЩs looking for
you, Khat.тАЭ
тАЬSince when?тАЭ
Ris collapsed on the floor and pulled the crawling baby into his lap to tickle. тАЬNot long after noon. I
heard it from one-of the fire-eaters outside the Odeon.тАЭ
Netta got up to rescue the squealing child from him. тАЬOutside the theater? I should tell your aunt.тАЭ
тАЬShe knows,тАЭ the boy retorted. Ris and his family lived in the next house over, and his father was a
street entertainer who performed in the Garden Market. Last year a pair of drunken slummers had
smashed his harmonium and therefore his livelihood. After some time, Khat had been able to repair the
instrument, replacing all the fiddly bits of metal and wire by trial and error, and Sagai had polished off the
job by painting the case with delicate scrollwork. Since then, Ris had carried messages and run errands
for them.
тАЬLushan again?тАЭ Sagai said, frowning. тАЬWhat can that misbegotten creature want?тАЭ
Khat leaned back against the wall and managed to look unconcerned by the news. тАЬIтАЩll go see him
later. He could have some deals to throw our way.тАЭ
тАЬAnd why should he favor us?тАЭ Sagai objected, but the baby was hauling itself up on the hem of his
robe, distracting him. Pulling it into his lap, he still added, тАЬI donтАЩt trust him. But then, you canтАЩt trust
anyone in our business.тАЭ
Khat wished his partner hadnтАЩt phrased it quite that way.



Khat strolled down the theater street on the Fourth Tier, enjoying the retreat of the dayтАЩs heat and the
long twilight. Colonnades paved with colored tile sheltered peddlers and gave entrance to the shops, and
the street was crowded with folk in search of an eveningтАЩs entertainment. It was growing dark, and lamps
enclosed in perforated bronze pots were being lit above the doors of the wealthier establishments of the
goldsmiths, lapidaries, bakers, ironsmiths, and wineshops. Many of the lamps were inset with red-tinted
glass, making the available light murky indeed, but hostile ghosts and air spirits were supposed to avoid
red light. Gamblers hawking for games and especially fortune-tellers squatted outside the doors haloed
by the muddy bloodlights, for security as much as for a way to see what they were doing.
Knowing he still had some time to waste, Khat bought a flower-shaped dumpling from a stall and sat