"Brust, Steven - Taltos 06 - Athyra (v0.9)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Brust Steven)

"We were walking through the woods," said the girl. "Not that / wanted to be here—"

2 Steven Brust

"You didn't?" said the woman, glancing sharply at the man. He ignored them. "He forced you to accompany him?" she said.

"Well, he didn't force me to, but I had to."

"Hmmm."

"And all of a sudden, I became afraid, and—"

"Afraid of what?"

"Of—well—of that place. I wanted to go a different way. But he wouldn't."

The woman glanced at the roasting bird, and nodded, recognizing it. 'That's what they do," she said. "That's how they find prey, and how they frighten off predators. It's some sort of psychic ability to—"

"I don't care," said the girl.

'Time to eat," said the man.

"I started arguing with him, but he ignored me. He took out his knife and threw it into these bushes—"

"Yes," said the man. "And here it is."

"You could," said the woman, looking at him suddenly, "have just walked around it. They won't attack anything our size."

"Eat now," said the man. "We can resume the insults later."

The boy said nothing.

The woman said, "If you like. But I'm curious—"

The man shrugged. "I dislike things that play games with my mind," he said. "Besides, they're good to eat."

The boy, whose name was Savn, had remained silent the entire time.

But that was only to be expected, under the circumstances.

Chapter One

I will not marry a dung-foot peasant, I will not marry a dung-foot peasant, Life with him would not be pleasant. Hi-dee hi-dee ho-la!

Step on out and do not tarry, Step on back and do not tarry, Tell me tell me who you'll marry. Hi-dee hi-dee ho-la!

Savn was the first one to see him, and, come to that, the first to see the Harbingers, as well. The Harbingers behaved as Harbingers do: they went unrecognized until after the fact. When Savn saw them, his only remark was to his little sister, Polinice. He said, "Summer is almost over; the jhereg are already mating."

"What jhereg, Savn?" she said.