"David Eddings - The Dreamers 01 - The Elder gods" - читать интересную книгу автора (Eddings David)

changes taking place all around you. The creatures of the Wasteland are
growing restless, and it wonтАЩt be long before the Dreamers arrive. We
need to be ready.тАЩ
тАШItтАЩs not nearly the age of the Dreamers yet, is it, Dahlaine?тАЩ Zelana
asked incredulously.
тАШThe signs are all there, Zelana,тАЩ Dahlaine said. тАШMother Sea and
Father Earth move to their own schedule. They wonтАЩt wait until itтАЩs
convenient for us to do what needs to be done. The ruler of the Wasteland
is preparing to move against us, and we arenтАЩt ready to face it yet.тАЩ
тАШWe should have destroyed that hideous creature as soon as we realized
what it was.тАЩ
тАШWe can talk about all this some other time, dear sister,тАЩ Dahlaine
smoothly changed the subject. тАШWhat I really came here for was to give
you something I thought you might like.тАЩ
тАШA gift - for me?тАЩ ZelanaтАЩs irritated humor seemed to vanish. тАШWhat is
it?тАЩ she demanded eagerly.
Dahlaine smiled. Somehow the magic word тАШgiftтАЩ always seemed to
bring his brother and his sisters around to his way of thinking. Zelana in
particular always responded in exactly the way he wanted her to. A gift
wasnтАЩt really a form of coercion, but it served the same purpose, and it
was a nicer approach. тАШOh,тАЩ he said in an off-hand manner, тАШitтАЩs not much,
sister dear. ItтАЩs just a little something I thought you might enjoy. How
would you like a new pet? It occurred to me that you might be getting a
little tired of your dolphins after all these eons, since they canтАЩt come out
of the water to play with you here in your lovely grotto. So I brought you
a pet that should be able to share your home.тАЩ
тАШA puppy, maybe?тАЩ Zelana asked eagerly. тАШIтАЩve never owned a puppy,
but IтАЩve heard that theyтАЩre very affectionate.тАЩ
тАШNot exactly a puppy, no.тАЩ
тАШOh,тАЩ Zelana sounded disappointed. тАШA kitten then?тАЩ she said, her eyes
brightening once more. тАШIтАЩve heard that the purring sound kittens make is
very relaxing.тАЩ
тАШWell, not quite a kitten either.тАЩ
тАШWhat is it, Dahlaine?тАЩ Zelana demanded impatiently. тАШShow me.тАЩ
тАШOf course,тАЩ Dahlaine replied, concealing his sly smile. He reached
both hands into the unseen emptiness he always carried along behind him
and took a fur-wrapped bundle out of the air. тАШWith my compliments, my
beloved sister,тАЩ he said extravagantly, handing her the bundle.
Zelana eagerly took the bundle and turned back the edge of the fur robe
to see what her brother had given her. She gaped in obvious disbelief at
the newborn pet drowsing in the warm fur robe. тАШWhat am I supposed to
do with this thing?тАЩ she demanded in a shrill voice.
He shrugged. тАШTake care of it, Zelana. It shouldnтАЩt be much more
difficult to care for than a young dolphin.тАЩ
тАШBut itтАЩs one of those man-creatures!тАЩ she protested.
тАШWhy, so it is,тАЩ Dahlaine replied in mock astonishment. тАШHow strange
that I didnтАЩt notice that myself. YouтАЩre very perceptive, Zelana.тАЩ He
paused. тАШItтАЩs not an ordinary man-creature, dear sister,тАЩ he added gravely.
тАШItтАЩs very special. There are only a few of them, but theyтАЩll change the
world. Care for it and protect it, Zelana. I think youтАЩll have to feed it,