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

"Let me try."
"Just a minute. It is coming."
Mordred said from the window: "The executioner is ready to begin."
"Oh."
"It will be a cruel death," he said. "They are using seasoned wood, and there will be no smoke, and she
will burn before she suffocates."
"So ye believe," observed Gawaine morosely.
"Poor old woman," said Mordred. "One can almost feel sorry for her."
Gareth turned on him fiercely.
"You should have thought of that before."
"Now the top one," said Gaheris.
"I understand," continued Mordred, in what was almost a soliloquy, "that our liege lord himself must
watch the execution from this window."
Gareth lost his temper completely.
"Can't you hold your tongue about it for a minute? Anyone would think that you enjoyed watching
people being burned."
Mordred replied contemptuously: "So will you, really. Only you think it is not good form to say so.
They will burn her in her shift."
"For the sake of God, be silent,"
Gaheris said, in his slow way: "I don't think you need to worry."
In a flash Mordred was facing him.
"What do you mean, he need not worry?"
"Of course he needna worry," said Gawaine angrily. "Do ye think that Lancelot willna come to rescue
her? He is no coward, at any rate."
Mordred was thinking quickly. His still pose by the window had given place to nervous excitement.
"If he tries to rescue her, there will be a fight. King Arthur will have to fight him."
"King Arthur will watch from here."
"But this is monstrous!" he exploded. "Do you mean to say that Lancelot will be allowed to slip off with

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the Queen, under our noses?"
"That is exactly what will happen."
"But nobody will be punished at all!"
"Good heavens, man," cried Gareth. "Do you want to see the woman burn?"
"Yes, I do. Yes, I do. Gawaine, are you going to sit there and let this happen after your own brother has
been killed?"
"I warnit Agravaine."
"You cowards! Gareth! Gaheris! Make him to do something. You can't let this happen. He murdered
Agravaine, your brother."
"So far as I can understand the story, Mordred, Agravaine went with thirteen other knights, fully armed,
and tried to kill Lancelot when he had nothing but his dressing-gown. The upshot was that Agravaine
himself was killed, together with all thirteen of the knightsтАФexcept one, who ran away."
"I did not run away."
"Ye survivit, Mordred."
"Gawaine, I swear I didn't run away. I fought him as well as I could. But he broke my arm, and then I
could do no more. On my honour, Gawaine, I tried to fight."
He was almost weeping.