"Vance, Jack - Alastor 2 - Trullion-2262" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vance Jack)

they say the craft is safe enough. It can't sink, first of all, even if it did go over. He could
always ride the hull until someone picked him up."
They continued across Fleharish Broad and out into Hfish Water, with the Prefecture Free Commons

on their left an island of five hundred acres reserved for the use of casual wanderers, Trevanyi,
Wrye, lovers "visiting friends." The boat entered Ambaal Broad, and there ahead-the dear outline
of Rabendary Island: home. Glinnes blinked at the moisture that came to his eyes. A sad
homecoming, in truth. Ambal Island looked its loveliest. Looking toward the old manor, Glinnes
thought to perceive a wisp of smoke rising from the chimneys. A startling theory came to him,
which would account for Lord Gensifer's sniff. Had Glay taken up residence in the manor? Lord
Gensifer would consider such an action ridiculous and discreditable-a vulgarian trying to ape his
betters.
The boat pulled up to Rabendary dock; Glinnes unloaded his luggage, paid off Young Harrad. He
stared toward the house. Had it always lurched and sagged? Had the weeds always grown so rank?
There was a condition of comfortable shabbiness which the Trills considered endearing, but the old
house had gone far past this state. As he mounted the steps to the verandah, they groaned and
sagged under his weight.
Flecks of color caught his eye, across the field near Rabendary Forest. Glinnes squinted and
focused his gaze. Three tents: red, black, dull orange. Trevanyi tents. Glinnes shook his head in
angry disparagement. He had not returned too soon. He called out, "Hallo the house! Who's here but
me?" In the doorway appeared the tall figure of his mother. She looked at him incredulously, then
ran forward a few steps. "Glinnes! How strange to see you!" Glinnes hugged and kissed her,
ignoring the overtones of the remark.
"Yes I'm back, and it feels strange to me too. Where is Glay?" "He's off with one of his
comrades. But how well you look! You've grown into a very fine man!" "You haven't changed by so
much as a twitch; you're still my beautiful mother." "Oh, Glinnes, such flattery, I feel old as
the hills and I look it too, I'm sure ... I suppose you've heard the sad news?" "About Shira?
Yes. It grieves me terribly. Doesn't anyone know what happened?" "Nothing is known," said Marucha
rather primly. "But sit down, Glinnes; take off those fine boots and rest your feet. Would you
care for apple wine?"
"I would indeed, and a bite of whatever is handy. I'm ravenous." Marucha served wine, bread, a
cold mince of meat, fruit, and sea-jelly. She sat watching him eat. "It's so very nice to see you.
What are your plans?" Glinnes thought her voice almost imperceptibly cool. Still, Marucha had
never been demonstrative. He answered, "I don't have any plans whatever, I've only just heard
about Shira from Young Harrad. He never took a wife then?" Marucha's mouth pursed into a
disapproving line. "He could never quite make up his mind ... He had friends here and there,
naturally."
Again Glinnes sensed unspoken words, knowledge which his mother did not care to communicate. He
began to feel a few small inklings of resentment, and carefully put them aside. It would not do to
start out his new life on such a footing. Marucha asked in a bright, rather brittle voice, "But
where is your uniform? I so wanted to see you as a captain in the Whelm."
"I resigned my commission. I decided to come home." "Oh." Marucha's voice was flat. "Of course
we're glad to have you home, but are you sure it's wise giving up your career?" "I've already
given it up." In spite of his resolve, Glinnes voice had taken on an edge. "I'm needed here more
than hi the Whelm. The old place is falling apart Doesn't Glay do anything whatever?"
"He's been most busy with-well, his activities. In his own way, he's quite an important person
now.""That shouldn't prevent him from fixing the steps. They're literally rotting away. I saw
smoke from Ambal Isle. Is Glay living over there?" "No. We've sold Ambal Isle, to one of Glay's
friends."
Glinnes started, thunderstruck. "You've sold Ambal Isle? What possible reason . . He gathered