"Sorcerer's Son" - читать интересную книгу автора (Phyllis Eisenstein)

The man glanced at his fellows. “There might be an extra horse in the village.” He beckoned to the others, and they moved together, speaking softly. After a time, one of them looked back to Cray.

“What can you pay?” he asked.

“I have a piece of silver,” said Cray.

The villagers’ conversation resumed, more loudly this time, and at last the brawny man broke away from the other two and said to Cray, “We seem to have three extra horses in this village.”

“I need only one,” said Cray.

“You may choose the best of the three, if you wish.”

Cray nodded.

The men separated, and while each went in search of his horse, Cray lifted the little girl into Gallant’s saddle and walked her around the well. She was very quiet on top of the horse, very wide-eyed, and she clung to its mane with both hands.

“Have you ever ridden a horse before?” Cray asked her.

“Yes, but not such a big one. It’s so high!” And she loosed one hand for only a moment, to wave quickly at her playmates, who stared from the shade with envious eyes. “Does he have a name?” she asked Cray.

“I call him Gallant.”

At the sound of its name, Gallant halted and turned its head inquiringly. Cray stroked its neck once and urged it forward.

“He’s a good horse,” said the girl.

“Oh, yes, a very good horse,” agreed Cray.

“Are you a knight?”

Cray smiled. “Not yet. But I will be.”

“I saw a knight once. He had a big horse, too.” She turned to Sepwin, walking on the other side of Gallant. “You’re not a knight.”

“No, no, not I,” replied the beggar.

“What’s wrong with your eye?”

Sepwin hesitated, then said, “I hurt it.”

“If you hurt it, where is the blood?”

“I hurt it a long time ago.”

“If it was a long time ago, why do you need that bandage?”

“Because it doesn’t look nice.”

“It doesn’t?” The child leaned toward him. “Can I see it?”