"Debra Doyle & James D. MacDonald - School of Wizardry" - читать интересную книгу автора (Doyle Debra)

reflections danced on the surface of the water. Under the
lights, the water was dark . . . No, wait. I see some color, Randal
thought.

GreenтАФit was deep green, rich as a field after a summer
rain, bright as a jewel. The patch of green spread until it
covered the bottom of the bowl. Randal saw that the color was
the bright green of close-cropped turf, and across the turf
hooves were pounding, the hooves of black horses. Time passed
while Madoc's deep voice rose and fell in meaningless words,
and the black horses continued to gallop without sound against
the field of green.

The wizard uttered one final harsh syllable. The picture
vanished, leaving Randal staring into the empty dish. He shook
his head and looked up. Madoc was standing beside him, and
the others in the great hall were gazing at the kilted
northerner with expressions ranging from amusement to barely
concealed awe.

Randal's hands shook. This hadn't been like watching the
display of colored lights; this time, the magic had called to
something within him, and something had answered.

At a nod from Lord Alyen, Randal returned the platter to
the cupboard and resumed his usual place next to Walter. As
the noise in the hall grew louder, Randal nudged his cousin and
whispered, "Did you see it?"

He waited, still shaking a little, for the answerтАФ he didn't
know what had happened, but he knew he had to find out if his
cousin had seen the same vision. What if he hadn't, Randal
wondered. What if nobody else saw it but Madoc . . . or what if
nobody saw it but me?

But Walter only gave him an odd look. "See what? Were you
daydreaming again?"

He didn't see anything, thought Randal. And I did. The
knowledge made him uneasy; he didn't know what it meant, but
he knew it was important. Aloud, he said only, "I guess I wasn't
paying attention. What happened?"
"What else is new?" asked Walter. "All right . . . the wizard
gave a little speech about everybody here. You should have seen
Sir Palamon grin when the wizard told him he was going to be in
a battle that would gain him fame enough to last to the end of
his days."

Randal wasn't so sure that was a good fortuneтАФ not
without a prediction of just how many those days were going to