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51
No
one
said
a
word
.
Nothing
but
the
subsiding
music
and
the
whispering
leaves
and
squeaking
boughs
of
the
enormous
oak
could
be
heard
.
Then
,
all
of
a
sudden
,
a
goat
tethered
to
one
of
the
carts
which
circled
the
ancient
tree
bleated
lengthily
.
At
that
moment
,
as
if
given
a
signal
,
one
of
the
men
seated
in
the
large
semi-circular
audience
stood
up
.
Throwing
his
cobalt
blue
cloak
with
gold
braid
trim
back
over
his
shoulder
,
he
gave
a
stiff
,
dignified
bow
.
52
"
Thank
you
,
Master
Dandilion
,
"
he
said
,
his
voice
resonant
without
being
loud
.
"
Allow
me
,
Radcliffe
of
Oxenfurt
,
Master
of
the
Arcana
,
to
express
what
I
am
sure
is
the
opinion
of
everyone
here
present
and
utter
words
of
gratitude
and
appreciation
for
your
fine
art
and
skill
.
"
53
The
wizard
ran
his
gaze
over
those
assembled
--
an
audience
of
well
over
a
hundred
people
--
seated
on
the
ground
,
on
carts
,
or
standing
in
a
tight
semi-circle
facing
the
foot
of
the
oak
.
They
nodded
and
whispered
amongst
themselves
.
Several
people
began
to
applaud
while
others
greeted
the
singer
with
upraised
hands
.
Women
,
touched
by
the
music
,
sniffed
and
wiped
their
eyes
on
whatever
came
to
hand
,
which
differed
according
to
their
standing
,
profession
and
wealth
:
peasant
women
used
their
forearms
or
the
backs
of
their
hands
,
merchants
'
wives
dabbed
their
eyes
with
linen
handkerchiefs
while
elves
and
noblewomen
used
kerchiefs
of
the
finest
tight-woven
cotton
,
and
Baron
Vilibert
's
three
daughters
,
who
had
,
along
with
the
rest
of
his
retinue
,
halted
their
falcon
hunt
to
attend
the
famous
troubadour
's
performance
,
blew
their
noses
loudly
and
sonorously
into
elegant
mould-green
cashmere
scarves
.
Отключить рекламу
54
"
It
would
not
be
an
exaggeration
to
say
,
"
continued
the
wizard
,
"
that
you
have
moved
us
deeply
,
Master
Dandilion
.
You
have
prompted
us
to
reflection
and
thought
;
you
have
stirred
our
hearts
.
Allow
me
to
express
our
gratitude
,
and
our
respect
.
"
55
The
troubadour
stood
and
took
a
bow
,
sweeping
the
heron
feather
pinned
to
his
fashionable
hat
across
his
knees
.
His
apprentice
broke
off
his
playing
,
grinned
and
bowed
too
,
until
Dandilion
glared
at
him
sternly
and
snapped
something
under
his
breath
.
The
boy
lowered
his
head
and
returned
to
softly
strumming
his
lute
strings
.
56
The
assembly
stirred
to
life
.
57
The
merchants
travelling
in
the
caravan
whispered
amongst
themselves
and
then
rolled
a
sizable
cask
of
beer
out
to
the
foot
of
the
oak
tree
.
Wizard
Radcliffe
lost
himself
in
quiet
conversation
with
Baron
Vilibert
.
Having
blown
their
noses
,
the
baron
's
daughters
gazed
at
Dandilion
in
adoration
--
which
went
entirely
unnoticed
by
the
bard
,
engrossed
as
he
was
in
smiling
,
winking
and
flashing
his
teeth
at
a
haughty
,
silent
group
of
roving
elves
,
and
at
one
of
them
in
particular
:
a
dark-haired
,
large-eyed
beauty
sporting
a
tiny
ermine
cap
.
Dandilion
had
rivals
for
her
attention
--
the
elf
,
with
her
huge
eyes
and
beautiful
toque
hat
,
had
caught
his
audience
's
interest
as
well
,
and
a
number
of
knights
,
students
and
goliards
were
paying
court
to
her
with
their
eyes
.
The
elf
clearly
enjoyed
the
attention
,
picking
at
the
lace
cuffs
of
her
chemise
and
fluttering
her
eyelashes
,
but
the
group
of
elves
with
her
surrounded
her
on
all
sides
,
not
bothering
to
hide
their
antipathy
towards
her
admirers
.
Отключить рекламу
58
The
glade
beneath
Bleobheris
,
the
great
oak
,
was
a
place
of
frequent
rallies
,
a
well-known
travellers
'
resting
place
and
meeting
ground
for
wanderers
,
and
was
famous
for
its
tolerance
and
openness
.
The
druids
protecting
the
ancient
tree
called
it
the
Seat
of
Friendship
and
willingly
welcomed
all
comers
.
But
even
during
an
event
as
exceptional
as
the
world-famous
troubadour
's
just-concluded
performance
the
travellers
kept
to
themselves
,
remaining
in
clearly
delineated
groups
.
Elves
stayed
with
elves
.
59
Dwarfish
craftsmen
gathered
with
their
kin
,
who
were
often
hired
to
protect
the
merchant
caravans
and
were
armed
to
the
teeth
.
Their
groups
tolerated
at
best
the
gnome
miners
and
halfling
farmers
who
camped
beside
them
.
All
non-humans
were
uniformly
distant
towards
humans
.
The
humans
repaid
in
kind
,
but
were
not
seen
to
mix
amongst
themselves
either
.
Nobility
looked
down
on
the
merchants
and
travelling
salesmen
with
open
scorn
,
while
soldiers
and
mercenaries
distanced
themselves
from
shepherds
and
their
reeking
sheepskins
.
The
few
wizards
and
their
disciples
kept
themselves
entirely
apart
from
the
others
,
and
bestowed
their
arrogance
on
everyone
in
equal
parts
.
A
tight-knit
,
dark
and
silent
group
of
peasants
lurked
in
the
background
.
Resembling
a
forest
with
their
rakes
,
pitchforks
and
flails
poking
above
their
heads
,
they
were
ignored
by
all
and
sundry
.
60
The
exception
,
as
ever
,
was
the
children
.
Freed
from
the
constraints
of
silence
which
had
been
enforced
during
the
bard
's
performance
,
the
children
dashed
into
the
woods
with
wild
cries
,
and
enthusiastically
immersed
themselves
in
a
game
whose
rules
were
incomprehensible
to
all
those
who
had
bidden
farewell
to
the
happy
years
of
childhood
.
Children
of
elves
,
dwarves
,
halflings
,
gnomes
,
half-elves
,
quarter-elves
and
toddlers
of
mysterious
provenance
neither
knew
nor
recognised
racial
or
social
divisions
.
At
least
,
not
yet
.