"Mary Renault - Greece 4 - The Last Of The Wine" - читать интересную книгу автора (Renault Mary)

There was a change in the sky; I turned and saw dawn smoulder behind Hymettos. The lights went out
one after another, and the ships themselves appeared, sitting the water like grey birds. When the
spearhead of Athene flashed a spark of fire, I knew I must go or be late for school. The painting on the
statues and friezes was brightening, and there was warmth in the marble. It was as if order had that
moment been sung up out of chaos and night. I felt my heart lift within me. Seeing the ships so thick on
the waters, I had said to myself that these had made us what we were, the leaders of all the Hellenes.
Now I paused, and looking about me, thought, No, not so; but we alone have given godlike things to the
gods.

Now dawn unfolded a wing of flame, but Helios was still beneath the sea. All things looked light and
incorporeal and the world was still. I thought I would pray before going, but did not know which altar to
turn to; for the gods seemed everywhere, all saying the same word to me, as if they had been not twelve
but one. I felt I had seen a mystery, yet knew not what. I was happy. Wishing to praise all gods alike, I
stood where I was and lifted my hands to the sky.

Going down the steps I came to myself and knew I should be late. I ran for all I was worth to the
market, and spending my father's money quickly, bought violets made up already into garlands, and some
stephanotis; the woman gave me a rush basket for nothing. At another stall they had dark-blue hyacinths,
for which I had kept something by. A man who was there choosing myrtle smiled at me and said, You
should have bought those first, Hyakinthos. But I raised my eyebrows and went on without speaking.

The market was crowded and people were full of talk. I am as glad as anyone to hear of something new;
but I could see the man with the myrtle beginning to follow me, and besides, I did not want my father's
temper to give out. So I hurried as fast as I could without breaking the flowers, and, thus concerned,
scarcely looked right or left till I reached home.
 Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html




I had bought a myrtle-wreath for our guardian Herro, to dress him for the feast. He was a very old
Herm, who had stood at the gate even before the invasion of the Medes; he had the face of the oldest
images, with a closed smiling mouth like a new moon, a traveller's hat on his head, and a beard. Yet
having known him from my infancy I had a fondness for him, and thought no worse of him for his rustic
looks. I walked, then, towards him, searching in my basket for the garland, and looked up with it in my
hand. The clear sun of morning shone full upon him. I started back in fear, and made the sign against evil.

Someone had come in the night and hammered his face to pieces. His beard and his nose were gone,
and the brim of his hat, and the phallus on the column; half his mouth was knocked away, so that he
looked eaten with leprosy. Only his blue-painted eyes were left, staring out fiercely as if they wanted to
speak. Chips were scattered everywhere; it must have been on one of them that, as I set out in the dark,
I had hurt my foot.

In my first horror I thought the god himself must have done it, to curse our house for some frightful sin.
But it seemed to me that a god would have split the image in two with one stroke of thunder; this was the
work of men doing as much as they could. Then I remembered the dogs barking in the night.

I found my father dressed, going over some account-rolls. He began to rebuke me, for the sun was up;
but when he heard my news he ran outside. First he made the evil-eye sign; then he was silent some time.