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Naked Empire :: Goodkind Terry
Страница: 62 из 495He forced a smile at Jennsen ashe held out the biscuits.
"Would you like one of mine?"
Tom started, glaring at Owen.
"Thanks, no," Jennsen said as she withdrew her extended hand and sat down on a low, flat rock. She snagged Betty by an ear and made her lie down at her feet. "You'd best eat the biscuits yourself if you don't want meat,"
she said to Owen. "I'm afraid we don't have a lot that isn't."
"Why don't you eat meat?" Richard asked.
Owen looked up over his shoulder at Richard in the wagon above him. "I don't like the thought of harming animals just to satisfy my want of food."
Jennsen smiled politely. "That's a kindhearted sentiment."
Owen twitched a smile before his gaze was drawn once again to her hair.
"It's just the way I feel," he said, finally looking away from her.
"Darken Rahl felt the same way," Cara said, turning the glare on Jennsen. "I saw him horsewhip a woman to death because he caught her eating a sausage in the halls of the People's Palace. It struck him as disrespectful of his feelings."
Jennsen stared in astonishment.
"Another time," Cara went on as she chewed a bite of sausage, "I was with him when he came around a corner outside, near the gardens. He spotted a cavalry man atop his horse eating a meat pie. Darken Rahl lashed out with a flash of conjured lightning, beheading the man's horse in an instant-thump, it dropped into the hedge. The man managed to land on his feet as the rest of his horse crashed to the ground. Darken Rahl reached out, drew the man's sword, and in a fit of anger slashed the belly of the horse open. Then he seized the soldier by the scruff of his neck and shoved his face into the horse's innards, screaming at him to eat. The man tried his best, but ended up suffocated in the horse's warm viscera."
Owen covered his mouth as he closed his eyes.
Cara waved her sausage as if indicating Darken Rahl standing before her. "He turned to me, the fire gone out of him, and asked me how people could be so cruel as to eat meat."
Jennsen, her mouth hanging open, asked, "What did you say?"
Cara shrugged. "What could I say? I told him I didn't know."
"But why would people eat meat, then, if he was like that?" Jennsen asked.
"Most of the time, he wasn't. Vendors sold meat at the palace and he usually paid it no mind. Sometimes he would shake his head in disgust, or call them cruel, but usually he didn't even take notice of it."
Friedrich was nodding. "That was the thing about the man-you never knew what he was going to do.
"Would you like one of mine?"
Tom started, glaring at Owen.
"Thanks, no," Jennsen said as she withdrew her extended hand and sat down on a low, flat rock. She snagged Betty by an ear and made her lie down at her feet. "You'd best eat the biscuits yourself if you don't want meat,"
she said to Owen. "I'm afraid we don't have a lot that isn't."
"Why don't you eat meat?" Richard asked.
Owen looked up over his shoulder at Richard in the wagon above him. "I don't like the thought of harming animals just to satisfy my want of food."
Jennsen smiled politely. "That's a kindhearted sentiment."
Owen twitched a smile before his gaze was drawn once again to her hair.
"It's just the way I feel," he said, finally looking away from her.
"Darken Rahl felt the same way," Cara said, turning the glare on Jennsen. "I saw him horsewhip a woman to death because he caught her eating a sausage in the halls of the People's Palace. It struck him as disrespectful of his feelings."
Jennsen stared in astonishment.
"Another time," Cara went on as she chewed a bite of sausage, "I was with him when he came around a corner outside, near the gardens. He spotted a cavalry man atop his horse eating a meat pie. Darken Rahl lashed out with a flash of conjured lightning, beheading the man's horse in an instant-thump, it dropped into the hedge. The man managed to land on his feet as the rest of his horse crashed to the ground. Darken Rahl reached out, drew the man's sword, and in a fit of anger slashed the belly of the horse open. Then he seized the soldier by the scruff of his neck and shoved his face into the horse's innards, screaming at him to eat. The man tried his best, but ended up suffocated in the horse's warm viscera."
Owen covered his mouth as he closed his eyes.
Cara waved her sausage as if indicating Darken Rahl standing before her. "He turned to me, the fire gone out of him, and asked me how people could be so cruel as to eat meat."
Jennsen, her mouth hanging open, asked, "What did you say?"
Cara shrugged. "What could I say? I told him I didn't know."
"But why would people eat meat, then, if he was like that?" Jennsen asked.
"Most of the time, he wasn't. Vendors sold meat at the palace and he usually paid it no mind. Sometimes he would shake his head in disgust, or call them cruel, but usually he didn't even take notice of it."
Friedrich was nodding. "That was the thing about the man-you never knew what he was going to do.