"Tad Williams - The Stanger's Hands" - читать интересную книгу автора (Williams Tad)

spending all afternoon in the fading light on his hands and knees, locating
every last needle and pin he had spilled. Once this rebel voice had even
led him several miles out of the village, on a quest for the town of EaderтАЩs
Church, which he had heard was so big that the streets actually had names.
His father and two other men had caught up to him an hour after sunset as
he sat exhausted and hungry by the side of the road. He had got a whipping
for it, of course, but for young Tobias whippings were part of the cost of
doing business.

So now, instead of turning and leaving the woods and its perilous
inhabitants behind (for the sake of his fatherтАЩs livestock if nothing else), he
followed the trail of smoke back to its source, a small cookfire in a clear-ing.
A small man with a ratlike face was tending the flames, his wrinkles made
so deep and dark by grime he looked like an apple-doll. His large
companion, who sat on a stone beside the fire and did not look up even
when Tobias stepped on a twig and made the little man jump, was so odd
to look at that the boy could not help shivering. The large manтАЩs head was
shaved, albeit poorly in some places, and the skull beneath the skin bulged
in places that it should not. His bony jaw hung slack, the tongue visible in
the space between top and bottom teeth, and although he did not seem
blind, the eyes in the deep sockets were dull as dirty stones.

If the big man was paying no attention, the little man was. He stared at
Tobias like a dog trying to decide whether to bark or run.

тАЬYour woodтАЩs too wet,тАЭ the boy told him.

тАЬWhat?тАЭ

тАЬYouтАЩll get mostly smoke and little fire from that. Do you want
smoke?тАЭ

The small man frowned, but in dismay, not anger. тАЬI want to cook this
fish.тАЭ He had the sound of a southerner, the words stretched and
mis-shapen. Tobias wondered why they couldnтАЩt learn to speak properly.
He squinted at the manтАЩs supper with the eye of an experienced angler. тАЬItтАЩs
small.тАЭ

тАЬItтАЩs better than starving,тАЭ the man pointed out.

тАЬWell, then, IтАЩll show you.тАЭ Tobias quickly found enough dry wood to
rebuild the fire and within a short time the little man was cooking the fish
over it on a long stick. His large companion still had not moved or spoken,
had not even seemed to notice the newcomer in their camp.

тАЬThanks for your kindness,тАЭ the small man said. тАЬI am Feliks. тАЬWe are
new to this.тАЭ

тАЬMy nameтАЩs Tobias,тАЭ the boy said, basking in the glow of his own
helpfulness. тАЬWhat does that mean, тАШnewтАЩ?тАЭ