"Recluce - 09 - Colors Of Chaos" - читать интересную книгу автора (Modesitt L E)

walked south along the Avenue past the White Tower.
   "Spring is here," Faltar said pleasantly.
   "Let us hope it remains this time."
   The Golden Ram was less than a half-kay from the Wizards' Square. How
many times had Cerryl walked past the inn on his way to and from his
sewer cleaning duties? He probably couldn't have counted them. They
stepped past the green signboard with the image of the golden ram and in
through the left side of the double doors.
   "Two of you?" asked the man in the faded blue vest standing by a small
counter.
   "Two, Veron," Faltar confirmed.
   "The corner table." Veron gestured.
   "I take it you come here often." Cerryl glanced around the long room
as Faltar wended his way through the crowded room. In the other corner
Cerryl caught sight of Eliasar and Kinowin, but neither acknowledged the
younger mages, as they were apparently caught up in their own
conversation. The public room contained all sorts of people, from young
traders to lancer officers and even several couples.
   "Ah ... feels good to sit down." Faltar stretched circumspectly.
   The serving girl, also wearing a blue vest, appeared at Faltar's
elbow. "What'll you gents be having?"
   "What's good?" asked the blond mage, looking at her, then at Cerryl.
   "It all is, ser. I'd try the cutlets. They run three. A touch chewy,
but tasty. Either the good ale or a red wine. Fresh barrel."
   "I'll have the cutlets, with the good ale," Faltar said. "The cutlets,
but I'll try the red wine." Cerryl felt too hungry and tired to ask about
other possibilities, but he'd drunk so much ale lately, or so it seemed,
that he thought he'd try the wine.
   "Two cutlets-they come with the roasted potatoes and bread-and an ale
and a red. That be it?"
   Both mages nodded, and the server bustled off.
   "I didn't know you drank wine. Or is that the healer's influence?"
   Cerryl found himself flushing.
   "Oh ... she'll change you yet."
   "She probably already has," conceded Cerryl. "I don't see her much,
what with her healing stuff and my gate duty."
   Thump! Thump! Two mugs appeared on the table. "That'll be four, gents."
   Cerryl fished out two coppers, as did Faltar. Both vanished, and so
did the server.
   "Gate duty is boring," said Faltar. "Sometimes you see odd things,
though. This afternoon, I saw some Blacks-three of them. I think they
were the ones that get exiled from Recluce."
   "You let them in and didn't tell anyone?"
   "Even I'm not that stupid." Faltar took a healthy swallow of the ale.
"They were leaving, but I still told Kinowin when I got off duty. They
didn't do anything wrong."
   "What did he say?"
   "He thanked me and sent an apprentice to tell Jeslek. What's her name,
the new redhead?"
   "Kiella? Oh ... that's what she was doing."