"Gordon R. Dickson - Dragon Knight 02 - The Dragon Knight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

peaceful; but it would remain so in the face of almost any eventuality. Should a forest fire sweep through
these woods-an unlikely possibility, because of the relatively small amount of undergrowth in the shadow
of these monarchical elms-Jim had no doubt that it would carefully part, well short of the Tinkling Water
glade, and pass by at a decent distance on either side before reforming its line once more beyond it.

Jim led Gorp into the glade at last. It was warming, in spite of his situation, to see the tiny clearing among
the trees with the stream running through it and tumbling over a small waterfall at its upper end.

Beside the stream and a little off to one side, close to the small house beyond it, was a pool with a
fountain. As Jim and Gorp approached the building, a small fish leaped out of the water, made a graceful
curve and as gracefully reentered the water headfirst. For a moment Jim could have believed that what he
had actually seen was a miniature mermaid. But it was probably just imagination. He put the thought
aside.

As usual, the Tinkling Water of the stream and fountain lived up to its name. It did indeed tinkle. Not
with the sound of tiny bells, but with the fragile sound of glass chimes stirred by a gentle breeze. Also as
usual, on either side of the immaculately-raked gravel walk-though Jim had never seen anyone, let alone
Carolinus, actually raking it-were two lines of flower beds filled with a crowded congregation of asters,
tulips, zinnias, roses, and lilies-of-the-valley, all blooming in complete disregard for their normal seasons
to do so.
In the midst of one of the flower plots rose a post to which was attached a white painted board, on
which in black angular letters the name S. Carolinus was elegantly imprinted. Jim smiled at it and dropped
GorpтАЩs reins, leaving the horse to crop at the thick carpet of green grass which surrounded all else in the
glade, and went up to the house by himself. From this spot, he knew Gorp would not stray.

The house was a modest, narrow affair of two stories, with a sharply slanting roof. The walls seemed to
be made of pebble-sized stones of a uniform gray color and the roof itself was of light blue tiles, almost
the color of the sky. A red-brick chimney rose out of the blue roof. Jim went on up to the front door,
which was green and set above a single red-painted stone step.

He had been intending to knock at the door, but as he got close, he saw that it was standing slightly ajar.
From within the house came the sound of a voice raised in exasperation, and snarling away in some
language Jim could not understand, but which evidently possessed a great number of words that sounded
as if they had jagged edges and were anything but complimentary.

The voice was that of Carolinus. The mage was evidently angry about something.

Jim hesitated, suddenly doubtful. Carolinus was seldom numbered among the ranks of patient
individuals. It had not occurred to Jim that he might be bringing his problem to the other at a time when
Carolinus was having a difficulty of his own.

But the feeling of unease which had come over Jim yielded almost immediately to the general feeling of
peace in the environment. He went on up the single red step, knocked diffidently at the door, knocked
again when his first knock was apparently ignored, and at last-since Carolinus seemed determined not to
pay any attention to the sound of it-pushed open the door and squeezed through it.

The single cluttered room he entered took up the whole ground floor of the building; but right now it had
no light coming into it through its windows at all, though no blinds or curtains appeared to have been
drawn, and a fairly substantial gloom pervaded it. Only on its curved ceiling were scattered specks of
light.