"L. E. Modesitt - Recluce 11 - The Death of Chaos" - читать интересную книгу автора (Modesitt L E)

I got up and began to pass out plates, brown crockery things I'd purchased in Kyphrien with the
last of the stipend the autarch had bestowed on me for ridding Kyphros-and Candar- of some
unwanted white wizards. I had spent most of those coins on building the house and workshop, and in
getting tools. Good tools are expensive, and I still didn't have everything I really needed.
Justen was the only nonwhite wizard I knew who really made a decent living from wizardry, and
he traveled across most of Candar to do it.
Because I was technically master of the house, although Krystal was certainly far more
important, Rissa set everything in front of me, and I got to ladle out the stew and noodles while
Rissa set out two big long loaves of steaming dark bread. I made sure Tamra got enough stew and
noodles to choke her.
For a time, no one spoke, and the only sound was of eating. Tamra slurped even more than some
of the junior guards in the Finest, hardly ladylike, but Tamra had never wanted to be a lady
anyway.
I caught Justen's eye, and my uncle shook his head, but I wondered if he were shaking it more
at my judgment than Tamra's manners. Krystal ate with the quiet efficiency I had noted the first
time I met her, and I reached under the table and squeezed her knee.
"Tell Ferrel to be careful," cautioned Justen.
"Ferrel is very careful. You don't survive to be guard commander if you're not."
I squeezed Krystal's leg just above the knee again, glad that she would not be doing the scout
mission. White wizards were always dangerous.
"You need to eat more, Master Wizard," said Rissa, gesturing at Justen. "The birds, they eat
more than you. So do the ants."
"It's not good to overdo anything," said Justen with a laugh.
"Then don't overdo the starvation," answered Rissa.
Even Tamra grinned, and Justen did eat a few more bites of stew and noodles before he spoke
again. "How did the autarch find out about the springs?"
"Travelers. The spring is on the main east road to Sunta. The Hydlenese troops closed the road,
and there were some very unhappy travelers."


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Travelers made sense. The water route, going down the Phroan River from Kyphrien through
central Kyphros to Felsa, then down the metaled river road to Ruzor, the only real port in
Kyphros, and taking a coaster to one of the ports in Hydlen, was just as fast and a lot easier, if
longer. It was also much costlier; so some travelers preferred the mountain way, but few traders.
"You think the Duke meant for Kasee to find out?" asked Krystal.
"How long had the Hydlenese held the spring before you found out?" asked my uncle the gray
wizard.
Krystal nodded. "I'll mention that to Ferrel."
"Is there any more of that dark ale?" asked Justen.
Rissa handed him the pitcher, and he half filled his mug.
"Benefits of being a gray wizard."
"White wizards don't get those benefits," I countered.
"When you get a little older, you'll get gray, too, Lerris. I guarantee that."
I hoped I didn't get either gray or into terrible puns.
After more talk about everything from the unseasonable rain-rain more than once every two eight-
days was unseasonable in Kyphros, even in winter-to the autarch's decision to try to open the old
wizards' road through northern Kyphros, Krystal yawned. "I'm sorry, but... it has been a long