"Jo Walton - The Rebirth of Pan" - читать интересную книгу автора (Walton Jo)

"Yes, Pappa. But what does this have to do with storing the things?"

Pappa Andros smiled. "Nothing diverts you from your purpose, does it Dafni? Well, it's like this.
We do not know when Great Pan will be reborn. Your son's visitor neglected to give him this important
information. So we do not know how long we have. The longer the better for making shoes and clothes
and preparing things. But the shorter the better for Pappa Thomas interfering. While the things are a few
in one place and a few in another they are not visible to him as things on their own, only as part of
people's lives. He does not pay much attention to details like a pile of clothes, a pile of shoes. But once
the things are collected somewhere special however careful we are he will become aware of what is
going on. This is probably true however good and hidden a place we find to keep them."

Dafni nodded slowly. The priest stroked his beard. "This is why I have been delaying all this time,
hearing the claims of one warehouse and another."

"But sooner or later you will have to decide. If you leave it too late then everything will be scattered
when we need it."

"That is another thing that makes it difficult to decide where to keep it. We do not know where we
will need it."

"Why—" Dafni leaned back in her chair, rocking the front feet off the red flagged floor. "Surely
Great Pan will be reborn where he died, in the grove on the mountain they call Pan's Grave? I have not
been up there since I was courting my Elias, but I remember where it is."

"It would seem likely," agreed Pappa Andros. "but it is by no means certain that it is there that the
shoes and things will be needed. They could be needed here in the town, or over in Stavros." Pappa
Andros wondered why Dafni frowned at the mention of the little fishing village on the other side of the
island. "We don't know why they're needed after all. If we knew more, we could make better plans. I
think for now it is best to keep them in the town."

"In one place," said Dafni firmly.

"Soon."

"Soon might be too late. They might be needed tomorrow."

"I don't think so." Pappa Andros rubbed his beard thoughtfully and stared at the reddening fruit on
the pomegranate tree outside. "There are various times it could be, but I do not think it will be a day of
no account. But there are few days of no account, so I don't know. Most likely would be Easter, I think.
It was Easter that he died, after all. Easter is a time of Spring, and of rebirth, resurrection. It is a long time
before another Easter. Or it might be Panaghias. The Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin. August
15th. That was an old festival to Pan the Most Holy before it became associated with the Holy Mother."
he shrugged "Or it might be Christmas, certainly a time of birth—"

Dafni raised a hand. "I have a thought. This is all just speculation. I shall tell Yanni to ask these
questions when next he has a visitor. But thinking about Panaghias reminded me. Manoli and Evadni, the
boatbuilders, you know them?"

"Of course."