Читать книгу The Mist and the Lightning. Part 19 онлайн

Kors felt heat from Arel lying next to him. Their camp bed was not wide at all, it was uncomfortable to sleep on it together even in an embrace, and the heavy brocade blanket with which they were covered with their heads now also was annoying Kors. Under it, together with Arel, it was stuffy and hot. Stuffy, hot and cramped. Kors rather rudely threw off the prince’s arm and sat down. Getting out from under the warmth of the blanket and Arel, he immediately felt the damp coolness of moist air. Down below, a draft blew across the wooden flooring, chilling his bare feet uncomfortably. There was a strong smell of tobacco, yesterday’s lamb, sweat from clothes and unwashed bodies, but the smell of cigarette smoke still reigned over all the rest.

“Nik…” Kors called, but immediately stopped short. “Nikto! Son!” He added cautiously. “Can I address you? I really have to!”

“Hmmm…” Apparently, Nik was lying very close, from the side of Prince Arel, and, it seemed, right on the floor:

“What do you want? Oh-h…”

“What time is it now?” Kors asked.

“What?”

“ Do you know what time it is?”

“I have no idea, what?” Nik asked with a yawn.

“Are you asking me?! How would I know if I can’t see anything?” Kors was outraged. Yes, talking to Nik in the morning was a pointless exercise, however, as at almost any other time.

Nik yawned again and didn’t answer.

“Can I peel off the plaster?” Kors asked after a while, realizing that Nik had no intention of continuing the conversation at all.

“Eh? No.”

Kors barely suppressed the uncontrollable wave of anger that swept over him. His fingers clenched nervously into fists.

“No,” repeated Nick, “I’ll do it myself.”

“Then do it…” and Kors, thinking again for a moment, added: “Please.”

“A little bit later. Get away from me, let me sleep! What keeps you up this early?”

“I’m begging you, stop scoffing! Peel it off.”

“I’m not kidding, I want to sleep, do you need it right now?”

“But I can’t see anything!”

“Why do you need to see something now? Sleep, that’s all!”