"Anthony, Piers - Xanth 06 - Night Mare" - читать интересную книгу автора (Anthony Piers)

bearing a fresh load of dreams to sleeping clients. But this
time her only burden was her message: beware the Horse-
man. She didn't know what that meant, but surely the King
would. Meanwhile, her equine heart beat more strongly
with anticipation as the dread dawn gathered itself. Always
before she had fled the rising sun, the scourge of day; this
time she would face the carnage it did to the darkness.

The stars began to fade. They wanted no part of thisi
Day was coming; soon it would be light enough for the sun
to climb safely aloft. The sun hated the night, just as the
moon despised the day; but Imbri understood the moon had
the courage to encroach on the edges of the day, especially
when fully inflated and strong. Perhaps the lady moon was
interested in the male sun, though he gave her scant en-
couragement. As long as the moon was present, a night
mare could travel safely, though perhaps uncomfortably,
even if the edge of day caught her. But why take chances?

Still, Imbri had to brace herself as the light swelled omi-
nously. She knew the spell of the Night Stallion and the
presence of her half soul would enable her to survive the
day-but somehow it was hard to believe absolutely. What
would happen if the spell were faulty? She could be de-
stroyed by the strike of a deadly sunbeam, and her sea on
the moon would fade out, unremembered. She trusted the
Stallion, of course; he was her sire and he ruled the Powers
of the Night Yet surely tfae sun was an aspect of the pow-
ers of the day, and perhaps did not know she was supposed
to be exempt from its mischief. Or if it knew, maybe it
refused to recognize the fact. "Oops, sorry, Horse; you
mean that was the mare I was supposed to spare? Fortu-
nately, you have others ..."

The brightening continued inexorably. Now was the

time; she would have to stand-or break and run home to
the gourd. Her legs trembled; her nostrils dilated. White
showed around the edges of her eyes. Her body was poised
for flight.

Then she remembered the rainbow. She would never see
it-unless she faced the sun. Or faced away from it; it was
always a creature's shadow that pointed to the rainbow, she
understood; that was one of the special aspects of the
magic of Xanth, that secret signal; But the sunlight had to
fall on that person to make the shadow appear-shadows
were reputed to be very strict about that-so the shadow
could perform.