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

Heading out into the square, he realized Brock was trotting to keep up, and he shortened his stride.
"Does the mayor yell a lot?"

"Yes. A lot."

"Do you know why?"
Brock sighed deeply, one hand dropping to fondle the ears of the dog walking beside him. "Mister
Mayor wears the town," he said very seriously after a moment. "The town swings heavy heavy."

Okay; that made no sense. Maybe we should try something less complex. "Is Rock your dog?"

"He's my friend. They were hurting him. I...Wait!"

Uncertain of just who had been told to wait, Jors watched Brock and the dog run across to the town well
where a pair of women argued over who'd draw their water first. Ignored in the midst of the argument,
Brock began to draw water for them. He had no trouble with the winch, but while pouring from bucket
to bucket, he splashed the older woman's skirt. Suddenly united, they turned on him. By the time Jors
arrived, Brock had filled another bucket in spite of the shouting—although his shoulders were
hunched forward and he didn't look happy.

The older woman saw him first, shoved the other, and the shouting stopped.

"Ladies."

"Herald," they said in ragged unison.

"Let me give you a hand with that, Brock. You bring the water up, and I'll pour."

"Pouring is hard," Brock warned.

"Herald, you don't have to," one of the women protested. "We never asked this..." When Jors turned a
bland stare in her direction, she reconsidered her next word. "...boy to help."

"I know." His tone cut off any further protests and neither woman said anything until all the buckets had
been filled, then they thanked him far more than the work he'd done required. He'd turned to go when at
the edge of his vision he saw one woman lean forward and pinch Brock on the arm, hissing, "Now that's
a real Herald."

"HERALD JORS!"

Across the square, the mayor stood on the steps of the town hall, chain of office glinting in the pale
autumn sunlight, both hands urging him to hurry. Well, he'll just have to wait! Lips pressed into a thin
line, Jors turned back toward the well, had his elbow firmly grabbed, and found himself facing the mayor
again.

"Mister Mayor is yelling," Brock explained, moving Jors across the square.

"Let him. I saw what happened back there. I saw that woman pinch you."