"John DeChancie - Castle 01 - Castle Perilous" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dechancie John)

тАЬI feel тАж alive here,тАЭ Jacoby said with sudden animation. тАЬThis magnificent construct тАжтАЭ He turned and lifted
his head to look up the high wall of the keep. тАЬThis colossal monument to power тАФ it excites me. You say never
an owner? I canтАЩt bear the thought of it. Anything is possible here. Anything.тАЭ
Dalton did not look up. He was eyeing Jacoby circumspectly.
тАЬI want to тАФтАЭ Jacoby felt DaltonтАЩs gaze, turned back toward the rail and gave a slightly self-conscious smile.
тАЬYouтАЩll forgive me, but my experiences here so far have given me an overwhelming sense of freedom, of
promise. I canтАЩt quite тАж well, itтАЩs exhilarating; to say the least. And the newfound powers, these abilities IтАЩve
acquired тАФтАЭ
тАЬDonтАЩt let it go to your head. WeтАЩve all acquired them, to varying degrees.тАЭ
JacobyтАЩs smile faded into something akin to indignation. тАЬIтАЩd be willing to wager that mine are more than usually
developed, for such a recent arrival.тАЭ
тАЬI have no reason to doubt you.тАЭ

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JacobyтАЩs smile crept back. тАЬDo forgive me.тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs nothing.тАЭ
тАЬSince weтАЩre on the subject, do you mind giving me a small demonstration of your own abilities? I hear theyтАЩre
quite advanced.тАЭ
тАЬWell тАжтАЭ
тАЬPlease. IтАЩd be very interested тАФ if you donтАЩt mind.тАЭ JacobyтАЩs smile was warm.
Dalton nodded, stubbed out his cigarette on the rail, and slipped the holder into a leather pouch attached to a wide
belt around his waist. He picked up the wine glass, drank the last of its contents, and replaced it on the rail. He
then extended a stiffened right hand perpendicular to the ground, aiming it in the direction of the glass. His hand
began to vibrate slightly. At the same time he commenced an unintelligible, monotonous chanting.
Presently the glass rose tentatively from the stone to a height of perhaps a few inches. It stopped and hung there,
rotating slowly about its longer axis and processing lazily. This went on for a few moments; then, abruptly, the
glass fell to the rail, toppled over without breaking, and rolled. Dalton quickly reached out and saved it from
falling over the far edge.
тАЬDamn. Lost it there. I can usually hold it for about a minute before my concentration breaks.тАЭ He set the glass
upright and turned to Jacoby.
тАЬStill, very impressive,тАЭ Jacoby said. тАЬYou use a mnemonic phrase?тАЭ
тАЬYes. It seems to help focus the forces тАж whatever.тАЭ
тАЬI see. Very good. Very good indeed. And now me.тАЭ
Dalton тАЩs body suddenly went rigid, his expression turning first to one of puzzlement, then to alarm. тАЬWhat тАж?
What is it?тАЭ
тАЬMe,тАЭ Jacoby said.
тАЬI тАФтАЭ His next words were choked off. With jerky, marionettelike movements, he started edging toward the rail.
His face drained and his eyes grew round with fear. His right leg spasmed, rose, lowered, then rose again until his
foot was even with the rail of the balustrade. He slid forward until he straddled the rail, knocking his empty
wineglass over the side in the process.
Jacoby, meanwhile, was standing ramrod straight, the pupils of his eyes shining like tiny polished black stones.
His jaw muscles clenched and relaxed spasmodically, making his jowls shake. The loose, bloated sac of his chin
quivered.
Resisting fiercely every inch of the way, Dalton lowered himself over the rail. The process was agonizingly slow.
тАЬYou see,тАЭ Jacoby said when Dalton was hanging by both hands. тАЬMy powers, are to be reckoned with even at
this early stage.тАЭ
тАЬYes тАж you тАФтАЭ
тАЬThere is total freedom here. One only needs the will to do what one desires, without fear of retribution.тАЭ