"T. H. White - The Once and Future King" - читать интересную книгу автора (White T.H)

"Yes, dear, the famous Cornwall sisters. There were three daughters by the former Earl, and of course,
though I did not know it, they were my half-sisters. They were called Morgan le Fay, Elaine, and
Morgause, and they were considered to be the most beautiful women in Britain."
They waited for his quiet voice to resume, which it did without a falter.
"I fell in love with Morgause," it added, "and we had a baby."
If either of them felt surprise, resentment, commiseration or envy, they did not show it. The only
surprising thing to them was that the secret had been kept so long. But they could teil from his voice that
he was suffering and that he did not want to be interrupted until he had purged his heart in full.
They stared into the fire for the longest of their silences. Then Arthur shrugged his shoulders.

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"So, you see," he said, "I am Mordred's father. Gawaine and the others are nephews, but he is my full
son."
Lancelot saw by the eyes that he might speak.
"I don't think your story is wicked, even at that. You didn't know she was your half-sister. You hadn't
met Gwen. And probably, knowing her subsequent history, it was the fault of Morgause in any case.
That woman was a devil."
"She was my sisterтАФand the mother of my son."
Guenever stroked his hand. , -
"I am sorry." . '
"Besides," he said, "she was & very beautiful creature."
"Morgause..." began Lancelot.
"Morgause has paid for her share by having her head cut off, so we must leave her to rest in peace."
"Cut off," said Lancelot, "by her own child, because he found her sleeping with Sir Lamorak..."
"Please, Lancelot."
"I am sorry."
"I still don't think it was wicked of you, Arthur. After all, you didn't know she was your sister."
The King took a long breath, and began again more huskily.
"I have not told you," he said, "the worst part of what I did."
"What was that?"
"You see, I was young, I was nineteen. And Merlyn came, too late, to say what had happened.
Everybody told me what a dreadful sin it was, and how nothing but sorrow would come of it, and also a
lot of other things about what Mordred would be like if he was born. They frightened me with horrible
prophecies, and I did something which has haunted me ever since. Our mother had hidden Morgause
away as soon as it was known."
"What did you do?"
"I let them make a proclamation that all the children born at a certain time were to be put in a big ship
and floated out to sea. I wanted to destroy Mordred for his own sake, and I didn't know where he would
be born."
"Did they do it?"


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"Yes, the ship was floated off, and Mordred was on it, and it was wrecked on an island. Most of the poor