"Barbara Hambly - Sun Wolf 2 - Witches of Wenshar" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hambly Barbara)

the door that led from the dais to the King's solar beyond. Nanciormis
glanced defensively back at Sun Wolf. "We can't let his Majesty remain
out in the cold court!"
At that moment the music skirled to its circling conclusion; the girl
stood panting and radiant in the tawny halo of the lights. A woman
hastened down to her from the crowd on the dais, skinny and flustery,
her narrow, white face framed unbecomingly in tight-pulled, black hair.
She dressed in black, too; the harshness of the color triggered
something in Sun Wolf's memory. She had been one of Kaletha's
disciples in the public gardens that afternoon. She touched the girl's arm
and said something. Stricken, the girl turned eyes wide with shock and
green as absinthe toward the doorway; without a word she strode
toward them, the black-clothed governess hurrying behind like a skinny
ewe sheep who has fostered a gazelle.
"Uncle, is Father all right?" she demanded as soon as she got near
enough to Sun Wolf and Nanciormis to speak. "Anshebbeth says-"
"Your father's fine, Tazey."
"You ought to send at once for the Lady Kaletha," the
black-clothed woman panted, fussing up behind them. "She can-"
"We already did, Anshebbeth."
"I could go look for her-I know right where she
"It's been taken care of." Nanciormis' voice was soothing.
Anshebbeth's long white fingers clasped and unclasped nervously; her
huge, dark eyes darted to Nanciormis' face, then to Sun Wolf's body-a
look that was covert but unmistakable-then back again, her cheeks
coloring slightly. Sun Wolf wondered whether the blush was because
he was aware of the thoughts behind that look or simply that she was.
Unaware, Nanciormis went on easily, "Captain Sun Wolf-my niece, the
Princess Taswind-her governess the Lady Anshebbeth."
Guards were carrying the unconscious King into the hall.
Gentlemen and ladies hurried to open the door through to the solar and
to kindle lamps there; Tazey sprang after them, catching up her skirts as
if impatient with their weight. Sun Wolf observed the lace trim of her
petticoat and the slim strength of her calf in its soft boot before the
sharp jab of a bony knee in his thigh made him look around; but
Starhawk, who had materialized at his side, was looking around the
room, innocently impassive.
Down in the hall, one of the underservants, a thickset hag with
puffy ankles showing under a kilted-up skirt and black eyes glinting
through a straggling pelt of gray hair, called out in a screechy voice,
"Slow getting out the back window, was he, when the husband came
home? Hard to run with his breeches around his ankles!"
Tazey didn't even check her stride, but Anshebbeth stopped, stiff
with rage and indignation, torn for a moment between staying to take
issue with the old woman and remaining with her nurseling. Then, as if
she realized she would not come off the better in any battle of words,
she spun and hurried after Tazey into the narrow solar door.
"Did you see who they were?" Nanciormis asked quietly, as he led
Sun Wolf and the Hawk toward the carved chairs on the dais near the
fire. A servant girl came up to take his heavy white cloak and returned