"Kathryn Sullivan - Oracle of Cilens" - читать интересную книгу автора (Sullivan Kathryn)

Umbrian obeyed, the cart rolling away so swiftly that Ramtha had time only for a wave back
at her husband before Septem had skillfully maneuvered the cart through the traffic of the
dockfront and out onto the plain.
She looked back to where Arnth stood on the dock and in her memory saw once again the
vision Cilens had sent her during her wedding rites. A young woman--beautiful, Ramtha
knew, although the woman's face was turned away from her--was held tightly in Arnth's arms.
Her blue mantle had been flung back to her elbows, revealing a short-sleeved cheton of rich
green. her long black hair was falling out of its ribbon binding, forming a second mantle
down her back.

Despite the woman's unkempt appearance, Arnth was looking at her with so much love in
his eyes that the then 14-year-old Ramtha had known that her new husband would be forever
lost to her once those two met. As they were fated to.

Arnth was still watching her from the dock. She waved, ignoring the tears stinging her eyes.
No one could change what was to be, not even the gods. But Ramtha, oracle of Cilens,
dared to desire the unthinkable. If only there was some way to thwart the goddess of fate!
She turned around and sat stiffly upright, biting her lip to keep from sobbing.

She did not see the flock of sparrows dip down out of the sky and wheel as one over her.
Arnth did, however, and took it as a good omen. Everyone knew that sparrows were the
favorite birds of Uni, goddess of marriage. Perhaps Ramtha's odd moments of sadness
over the death of her father would lessen, he mused. Perhaps Uni meant that they would
have a child.

He smiled at the thought. He had been richly blessed by the gods. He had a clever and
beautiful wife whom he dearly loved and a thriving business with her help. And the goddess',
he quickly added.

Smiling fondly, Arnth watched until the cart was out of sight.
The captain cleared his throat respectfully beside him. "Sir, the haruspex has made his
prediction."
"At last! What does he say about your voyage, Vel?"

Vel hesitated. "I think you had best hear for yourself. I don't think you're going to like it."

The haruspex waited majestically for them to approach. Arnth eyed the little skyreader, a
faint amusement at this pompous fellow tingeing his normal respect for seers. "What say the
gods, holy one?"
The haruspex looked up at the sky and spread his arms wide in supplication to the gods. He
lowered his gaze and looked sorrowfully at Arnth. "A treasure of your home will be taken
from you."

Arnth frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Did you not see that flight of sparrows? They came from the east, from Uni's, goddess of
the hearth, sector, then turned and flew into the northwest, into the realm of the underworld. I
say again, a treasure of your house shall be taken from you."

The pieces of the mosaic abruptly fell into place. Arnth turned and looked across the plain