The Mist and the Lightning. Part 12 - стр. 16
Although Kors returned to the festive table, his mood was no longer festive. Drunk Anya, throwing her crossed legs on the table, leaned back strongly in her chair and fell backwards with a crash. Everyone started laughing, but Kors didn't even smile.
He couldn’t find a place for himself and after a while, unable to resist, got up and, without saying a word to anyone, went back to the Lis’ room. He worried about Karina, despite her unforgivable behavior. But approaching their door, while still in the corridor, Kors heard such loud and pleasure moans of his daughter that he stopped dead. His face twisted, and Kors rushed back.
“I remember how I made Atley Alis stick a needle in his hand between his thumb and forefinger,” flushed from the drink, Crassus continued to communicate with Nikto as if nothing had happened, indulging in memories. Unlike Varah, who looked at Nikto with undisguised superiority and even some kind of contemptuous grin, Crassus, it seems, was not embarrassed by either Nikto’s gray face, or eyes outlined in black, or hands black from tattoos. He perceived Nikto and Prince Arel as warriors and didn’t judge people by their appearance, like other noble blacks.
“All the boys whined and shook, they were so afraid of this punishment! And he endured! All classes, for several hours, he walked with a needle in hand, in silence! Even then I realized that a good deal would come out of this half-blood. He endlessly did push-ups, pulled himself up and held his sword in his outstretched arms like a cute one. Oh, others howled when their hands were taken away to hold and it hurt. And he did everything in silence. As a young wild animal, really!”
“They called him Lis then?” Nikto asked, trying not to meet his eyes with the mocking look of Kamiel Varah, from which he felt uneasy.
“After all, he was like a little red fox. Everyone began to call him that. His surname also combined well, so they called him Alis-Lis. And when he hit the first line, I was so proud of him! Not only did he survive almost one of all the recruits, he also distinguished himself! I wanted to put him on the list of those presented for the award for courage, but in the next battle he was captured, I was so upset, because I had invested so much in him!”
“Did you beat up the boys in your school?” Nikto asked, smiling. And Daniel Crassus also grinned content, clearly not feeling any remorse:
“How could it be otherwise! How much I beat and tortured them! They flew from me!”
Kamiel Varah shook his head accusingly and left the table.
“Crassus, did you make Lis wear the signs of half-blood?”
“These are the rules, how many orders he received from me out of turn and sat in the punishment cell, he still pulled them out! He so annoyed me that I waved my hand at that! I forced him only when the higher authorities came for a review. Damn, he is like my own son!”
Kors returned to the table.
“Well, doesn't he hit her? You have such a face,” Nikto asked him, since Daniel Crassus lagged behind him for a while and went out to freshen up.
“No, he's fucking her!”
“What?! Kors, what did you say?” Nikto began to laugh. “A-ha-ha.”
“Yeah…” Kors looked embarrassed.
“Is it possible for noble sirs to say that?”
“Well, I've already degraded here with you. With whom you lead, from that you will gain.”