"David Eddings - The Elenium 3 - The Saphire Rose" - читать интересную книгу автора (Eddings David)

of Ghwerig's treasure cave towards the entrance of the
spiralling gallery that led to the surface.
'Do you think we'll ever see her again?' Kurik asked
wistfully as they entered the gallery.
'Aphrael? It's hard to say. She's always been a little
unpredictable.' Sephrenia's voice was subdued.
They climbed in silence for a time, following the spiral
of the gallery steadily to the left. Sparhawk felt a strange
emptiness as they climbed. They had been four when
they had descended, now they were only three. The
Child-Goddess, however, had not been left behind, for
they all carried her in their hearts. There was something
else bothering him, though. 'is there any way we can seal
up this cave once we get outside?' he asked his tutor.
Sephrenia looked at him, her eyes intent. "We can if you
wish, dear one, but why do you want to?'
"it's a little hard to put into words.'
'We've got what we came for, Sparhawk. Why should
you care if some swineherd stumbles across the cave
now?'
'I'm not entirely sure.' He frowned, trying to pinpoint it.
"if some Thalesian peasant comes in here, he'll eventually
find Ghwerig's treasure-hoard, won't he?'
.if he looks long enough, yes.'
'And after that it won't be long before the cave's
swarming with other Thalesians.'
"Why should that bother you? Do you want Ghwerig's
treasure for yourself?'
'Hardly. Martel's the greedy one, not me.'
'Then why are you so concerned? What does it matter
if the Thalesians start wandering around in here?'
'This is a very special place, Sephrenia.'
'in what way?'
"it's holy,' he replied shortly. Her probing had begun
to irritate him. 'A Goddess revealed herself to us here.
I don't want the cave profaned by a crowd of drunken,
greedy treasure-hunters. I'd feel the same way if someone
profaned an Elene Church.'
"Dear Sparhawk,' she said, impulsively embracing him.
'Did it really cost you all that much to admit Aphrael's
divinity?'
"Your Goddess was very convincing, Sephrenia,' he
replied wryly. "She'd have shaken the certainty of the
Hierocracy of the Elene Church itself. Can we do it? Seal
the cave, I mean?'
She started to say something, then stopped, frowning.
"Wait here,' she told them. She leaned Sir Gared's sword
point up against the wall of the gallery and walked back
down the passage a little way, and then stopped again at
the very edge of the light from the glowing sword-tip where