"Katherine Kerr - Deverry 10 - The Black Raven" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kerr Katherine)

Evandar talking, but their words made no sense. Was he mad, then? Were the
marvels he'd been seeing signs of madness and naught more?
'It's the curse,' he whispered. 'When Jill left us she cursed me. That much I
can remember.'
Evandar dropped to one knee next to him and caught his hand.
'Try to remember. Why would Jill -'
'I don't know. Something about dweomer.'
The tent spun to match the roof and dropped him into darkness.
With Kwinto's help Marka got Ebany settled, then left the boy there to watch
his father and followed Evandar out of the tent. Sun and air had never seemed
so wholesome, nor a breeze so clean. Together they walked to the edge of the
caravanserai and stood in the shade of the rustling trees. Far below them on
its rocks the ocean boomed and hissed.
'Good sir,' Marka said. "You seem to know a lot about all these strange
things. Is Jill really working a curse against my husband?'
'Hardly.' Evandar paused for a short bark of a laugh. 'She's dead.'
Marka felt hot blood rush into her face. She could think of no apology that
would matter.
'I'm very very sorry to see your husband in this state,' Evandar said after a
moment. 'I'll have to do something about this.'
'Can you help him? Oh, if you only could, I'd - well, I don't know how we'd
repay you, but we do have coin.'
'Hush! No payment needed. I made his father a promise, and I intend to keep
it. I can't cure your husband, no. But I might know someone who can.'
Marka wept in sheer relief.
'But it's not going to be such an easy thing,' Evandar went on. "This person
is far away in your husband's homeland. The kingdom of Deverry. Do you know
about it?'
'Well, a little. It's supposed to be a horrible place where everyone's a
barbarian, and all the men carry swords and get drunk and chop each other to
pieces.'
'A slight exaggeration.' Evandar grinned at her. 'Be that as it may, Deverry's
also a wretchedly long way away, across a mighty ocean and all that, and I'm
not truly sure of how we'll get there, or if she - the person I'm thinking of
- can truly heal him once we do.'
Hope sank and left her exhausted. She rubbed her face with both hands and
tried to think.
'My apologies,' Evandar said. 'I wish I could offer you a certainty. Although,
don't lose heart! If the person I'm thinking of can't help, there may be
others.'
'If anyone could do something - I'm just so frightened.'
'No doubt. Well, I'll be off then to see what I can find.'
Evandar bowed to her, then turned and began to walk toward the cliffs edge. He
stopped and glanced back.
Take care of my horse, will you?' he called out. 'I won't be needing him.'
He walked two paces more, then set one foot on the air as if it were as solid
as a step, hauled himself up, and disappeared.
PART ONE
Winter, 1117 Deverry