"Walter Jon Williams - Wall, Stone, Craft" - читать интересную книгу автора (Williams Walter John)

Williams, Walter Jon - Wall, Stone, Craft.htm




WALL, STONE,
CRAFT
Walter Jon Williams

1


She awoke, there in the common room of the inn, from a brief
dream of roses and death. Once Mary came awake she recalled there
were wild roses on her mother’s grave, and wondered if her
mother’s spirit had visited her.
On her mother’s grave, Mary’s lover had first proposed their
elopement. It was there the two of them had first made love.
Now she believed she was pregnant. Her lover was of the opinion
that she was mistaken. That was about where it stood.
Mary concluded that it was best not to think about it. And so,
blinking sleep from her eyes, she sat in the common room of the inn
at Le Caillou and resolved to study her Italian grammar by
candlelight.
Plurals. La nascita, le nascite. La madre, le madri. Un bambino, i
bambini…


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Interruption: stampings, snortings, the rattle of harness, the barking
of dogs. Four young Englishmen entered the inn, one in scarlet
uniform coat, the others in fine traveling clothes. Raindrops dazzled
on their shoulders. The innkeeper bustled out from the kitchen,
smiled, proffered the register.
Mary, unimpressed by anything English, concentrated on the
grammar.
“Let me sign, George,” the redcoat said. “My hand needs the
practice.” Mary glanced up at the comment.
“I say, George, here’s a fellow signed in Greek!” The Englishman
peered at yellowed pages of the inn’s register, trying to make out
the words in the dim light of the innkeeper’s lamp. Mary smiled at
the English officer’s efforts.
“Perseus, I believe the name is. Perseus Busseus—d’ye suppose he
means Bishop?—Kselleius. And he gives his occupation as ‘te
anthropou philou’—that would make him a friendly fellow, eh?—”
The officer looked over his shoulder and grinned, then returned to
the register. “ ‘Kaiatheos.’ ” The officer scowled, then straightened.