"Tanya Huff - Brock" - читать интересную книгу автора (Huff Tanya)

BROCK
by Tanya Huff
Tanya Huff lives and writes in rural Ontario with her partner, six cats, and a chihuahua who refuses to
acknowledge her existence. Her latest book, out for DAW in May of 2003, was the third in the Keeper
Chronicles called Long Hot Summoning and she's currently working on the first of three books spinning the
character Tony off from her Blood series (DAW spring 2004). In her spare time she gardens and complains
about the weather.

"Id's just a code."

Trying not to smile at the same protest he'd heard for the last two days, Jors set the empty mug on a
small table. "Healer Lorrin says it's more, Isabel. She says you're spending the next two days in bed."

The older Herald tried to snort, but her nose had filled past the point it was possible, and she had to
settle for an avalanche of coughing instead. "She cud heal me," she muttered when she could finally
breathe again.

"She seems to think that a couple of days in bed and a couple of hundred cups of tea will heal you just
fine."

"Gibbing children their Greens..."

That was half a protest at best and, as Jors watched, Isabel's eyes closed, the lines exhaustion had
etched around them beginning to ease. Leaning forward, he blew out the lamp, then quietly slipped from
the room.

"Oh, she's sick," the Healer assured him, exasperation edging her voice. "What could have possessed her
to ride courier at her age, at this time of the year? Yes, the package and information she brought from the
Healer's Collegium will save lives this winter, but surely there had to have been younger Heralds around
to deliver it?"

Jors opened his mouth to answer.

Lorrin gave him no chance. "If she hadn't run into your riding sector, she might not have made it this far.
She needs rest and I'm keeping her in bed until I think she's had enough of it."

Jors didn't argue. He wouldn't have minded an actual conversation—Lorrin was young and
pretty—but unfortunately, she seemed too determined to run this new House of Healing the way
she felt a House of Healing should be run to waste time in dalliance with the healthy.

***

"Have you good as new. You see. Good as new. Soft and clean."

Jors stopped just inside the stable door and stared in astonishment at the young man grooming his
Companion. The stubby fingers that held the brush, the bulky body, the round face, angled eyes, and full
mouth told the Herald that this unexpected groom was one of those the country people called Moonlings.
He wore patched homespun; the pants too large, the shirt too small, both washed out to a grimy gray.
His boots had seen at least one other pair of feet.