"John DeChancie - Castle 08 - Bride of the Castle" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dechancie John)

Down on your luck? You have the look of degenerate nobility about you. Land poor? Too bad. But your
luck can and will get worse. This I will warrant.
"Spirit, I detect a note of glee."
Academic interest only. You will admit I have little to occupy my time.
"Is this truly, then, what death is?"
My punishment, I think.
"You're not certain?"
The uncertainty is surely part of the punishment.
He nodded, picked up the sledge, and slammed at the door.
The barrier came down in no time. Within lay darkness. He picked up the lantern and peered in. It was a
thick, almost tangible darkness that seemed to drink up light.
Afraid?
"Of course, damn you. What fiendish delights have you planned for me?"
Fiend I am none. Would that I were! Demons are powerful. Alas, I am but a soul lost.
"Lost and by the wind mourned, Ghost, begone! You bother me."
He stepped into the chamber. Something crunched underfoot.
The darkness seemed to recede. He caught the glint of smiling teeth, a death rictus. Then another. Then
piles of skulls, and bones. . . .
He turned to go but it was too late. The real door-a mammoth slab of finely dressed limestone-banged
down before he could barely move. Darkness adamantine fell.
Hear that?
He could hear nothing but the pounding of his heart.
That is the drip of water from a cistern. You will not die of thirst. You will, however, die slowly of
starvation. You might be able to catch a dung beetle now and then. You may perhaps find a thigh bone to
gnaw on. But you will eventually starve in here. Do wish me to describe the sensations of such a slow
dying?
He kicked bones out of the way, found a spot to sit, and did.
"Doubtless I can't stop you. Please begin."
A willing victim! Hmm. I'm not sure I like that. Anyway, first come the unbearable cravings . . .
? CHAPTER SIX

"WHAT IS THIS PLACE, some kind of nightclub?" Max asked, wandering around the laboratory.
"Nope," Jeremy said. He was seated at the work station of the giant mainframe computer that occupied
the center of the floor. "It's a castle."
"Looks like one. But what's it doing in this building?"
"It isn't in our office building. It's in another world." Max chuckled.
"Is this the Twilight Zone or something?"
"Nah. I don't even remember that show, though I've seen a few reruns. No, this is Castle Perilous. It's
kind of like at the center of the universe. Controls all space and time, and a bunch of different worlds.
144,000 of them, to be exact."
"Look, kid," Max said, walking over to the work station. "I don't know what your game is, but I really
have to get back to work."
"Hell, nobody ever believes it. Wait just a minute." Jeremy typed furiously on the keyboard.
"Okay, but I really have to get back."
Max again took in the strangeness of the place. What in the world was all that junk in the middle of the
floor? Looked like an assortment of jukeboxes circa 1950.
"What is that . . . stuff there. Those-?"
"Computer," Jeremy said.
"Right."
"It's the castle mainframe. I'm the chief of data processing around here. It's not a conventional computer.