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

my love. I've got to go lie down.'
That morning Marka gave up on sleep early. When the sun was rising in a pink
blaze of distant fog, and the sea wind was making the tents flap and rustle,
she put on a short dress and went outside, yawning and stretching in the cool
air. As she glanced around, she saw a stranger, dressed in Bardekian tunic and
sandals, leading his horse through the camp. He saw her, waved, and strolled
over. His skin was as pale as Ebany's, and his eyes a strange turquoise
colour, as vivid as the stones, but since he wore a leather riding hat pulled
down over his ears, she could see nothing of his hair.
'Good morning,' Marka said. 'Are you looking for someone?'
'Yes, actually. The magician who performed in the market place last night.'
'Indeed? Well, I happen to be his wife.'
'Ah. How do you do?' The stranger swept off his hat and bowed to her. 'I'm a
friend of his father's.'
Marka stared like a rude child, then pulled her gaze away. His ears were
impossibly long, impossibly furled, and pointed.
'Well, then, good sir.' She found her voice with a little gulp. 'You're
certainly welcome in our humble camp.'
'Thank you. My name is Evandar.'
'My husband's still asleep.' Marka glanced back at the tent and saw the flap
moving. 'Or no, here he is.'
Salamander stepped outside, saw Evandar, and screamed aloud.
'No, no, no!' Evandar said. 'I'm here to help you, truly I am. What's so
wrong?'
'There's nothing to you,' Salamander said, and he was shaking so badly his
hands knocked together. "You're not really here.'
'Well, I'm here as much I can be anywhere.' Evandar looked down at himself and
frowned. 'Everyone else always thinks I look solid enough. Your charming wife,
for instance, didn't shriek at the sight of me.'
'Indeed?' Ebany turned to her. 'What do you see, when you look at him?'
'Just a man like any other, as pale as you are, and so I guess he must be from
your homeland. But I don't understand what you're saying. His ears are - well,
forgive me, sir - but they're awfully strange, but otherwise, he looks
ordinary enough.'
For a long moment Ebany stood unspeaking, glancing back and forth between the
two of them. Behind him Kiwa, their second daughter, flung open the tent flap
and stared out, a tall girl, dark like her mother, with tight black curls cut
close to her head. Zandro wiggled out between his sister's legs, saw Evandar,
and squealed one high-pitched note. He laughed, stuck out his tongue, then
threw his head back and pranced around in a tight circle whilst waggling his
fingers in Evandar's general direction. Everyone stared, speechless, until
Marka found her voice.
'Zan! What are you doing? Stop that!' Marka stepped forward and grabbed. 'This
man is our guest, and taunting him is very rude.'
Giggling, Zandro raced back into the tent. When Marka pointed, Kiwa obligingly
went in after him. Marka turned back to find Evandar considering her with a
smile as sly as any merchant closing a deal.
'Please, let me apologize for my son,' Marka said.
'Oh, no apologies needed,' Evandar said. 'He must be an unusual child, yes?
Difficult to handle, perhaps?'