"Modesitt, L E - Recluse 12 - The Wellspring of Chaos" - читать интересную книгу автора (Modesitt L E)

“I’m sure there are good mages and bad ones. There are good lords and bad ones,
good coopers and bad ones.”
“No such thing as a good mage, if you ask me. Lord West can have them all. Be
better if he hung ‘em.”
“That’s what lords are for. Deal with raiders, and invaders, and brigands, and
mages. Rather be a cooper.”
Warrl yawned. So did Arthal.
“You two can take the bowls to the wash table,” Charee said.
“Wish we had a sister, like Aubret does,” mumbled Warrl. “Do all the dishes.”
“You don’t have a sister,” Charee said. “Two of you are enough.”
“… always say that…” murmured Arthal.
“Did you say something?” asked Kharl.
“No, ser.”
“I didn’t think so.” Kharl pushed back his chair and walked to the window,
letting the cool evening air flow around him. He hoped that Korlan would pick up
the barrels in the morning.
II
Right after his early breakfast, Kharl took the broom and stepped outside the
front of the cooperage to sweep the stones of the narrow sidewalk. Warrl was
supposed to have done it, but the boy was already laying out the white oak
shooks that Kharl would be jointing for the hogshead ordered by Captain Hagen
for the Seastag. It was less trouble for Kharl to sweep than to rail at Warrl,
and at least the boy was already working, unlike his older brother. Since the
cooper didn’t want to be caught out front if Korlan drove his wagon up to the
loading door in the rear, Kharl swept quickly.
Every few moments, Kharl stopped briefly to listen, although he doubted that the
vintner would arrive before midmorning, but with Korlan, one could never tell.
The air already felt hot and damp. He glanced to the east, at the barrel set on
the stone slab between the cooperage and Derdan’s woolen shop, the barrel filled
with damp sand for use against fires. The water barrel was more toward the
harbor, past Tyrbel’s scriptorium.
He began to sweep again, trying not to sneeze. As gently as he moved the broom,
dust still rose from the stones, dust from a long and dry summer. With the
prevailing easterlies, Brysta was hot and damp, but seldom had much rain until
late summer. So the air was moist, and the streets were dusty. Finally, he
lifted the broom and turned to reenter the cooperage.
“Ahhh…”
Kharl looked up.
Tyrbel stood there, with a small smudge of ink on his jaw. “Kharl… just wanted
to… last night… Sanyle.” The angular scrivener did not met the cooper’s eyes. “…
asked her to deliver some fancy cards up the hill. They must have followed her
back.”
“Just fortunate to be back by the loading dock. Might not have heard otherwise.”
WELLSPRING OF CHAUs
“Some would have heard, and done nothing,” Tyrbel replied. “I owe you thanks and
more.”
“You don’t owe me. Neighbors don’t look out for neighbors… who will?” Kharl
smiled. “She’s a good girl.”
“Best of them all,” Tyrbel agreed. “Do you know who they were?” Kharl shook his
head, still listening for Korlan’s team and wagon. “No. Wore velvets and blades.