"Martha Wells - Thorns" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wells Martha)

I blinked foolishly. Now there, stupid old woman, how many times did you tell yourself the rules had
changed? My most effective method of defense was a sleep spell, but if I raised my hand to my lips to
blow it towards him, he would have time to fire. The pistol's grip was fine wood; if I made the weapon
hot, he would still be able to trigger it.

The curtains on the open window behind him stirred, though the air in the room remained musty and still.
Delay, I thought, I must delay. I was too old to throw myself about, dodging balls or bullets or whatever
it is pistols shoot at one nowadays. Whatever had possessed me to attempt to talk to the man? I said, "A
sword is more customary, and more honorable."

His smile was irritatingly complacent. "I know your kind too well to rely on honor, Madame," he said.

"Then it's fortunate you don't know the rest of my family," I replied.

His expression suddenly turned fearful, and I knew he would fire his weapon. I threw myself awkwardly
to the floor as the gun went off. Smoke and the stink of powder filled the room. I raised my head and
saw Kohler, unconscious and crumpled helplessly on the floor. I pushed myself into an awkward sitting
position, and saw the bullet had made a terrible mark on the wall behind me.

Then Electra was bending over me anxiously. Her hair was mussed and torn from her flight up to the
window, and her morning dress stained from crouching in the casement. I had seen her preparing to cast
a sleep spell on Kohler, but her spells do not work quite so fast as mine. "Oh, Auntie, are you all right?"

"Of course I am," I said. I was not. I was covered in dust from the floor, and I was bruised and
exhausted. Electra took my arm and I allowed her to help me up.

"You should have told me that he meant to come here, Auntie," Electra scolded. "You should never have
followed him here alone. He could have killed you."

"He failed," I said. "That is all that matters." Then I ruined the solemn effect by sneezing uncontrollably.

"We'll get you right home for a nice cup of tea," Electra promised, and I admitted that it would be a
welcome restorative.

She returned to Kohler's unconscious form and bent over him. "Take his other arm, Auntie?"

I looked down at his lumpy body with distaste. "What on earth for?"

"We're taking him back to the house. I'll put a bit of my special dust in his tea, and he won't remember a
thing. We'll tell him he had a nasty fall from his horse, and send him off no whit the wiser." She frowned.
"You didn't do anything too permanent to his servants, did you?"

"Not too." I remarked, reluctantly stooping to seize his other arm. I am hardly responsible for the
vagaries of cats.

We hauled him toward the window. I had lost my gift for flight years ago, but Electra was strong enough
to take all three of us. I thought Kohler deserved to stay here with the woman he meant to awaken. Not
as fitting a punishment as I would have devised in my youth, but satisfying nonetheless. But Electra has a
soft heart, and it is useless to argue with her.