"Eisenstein,.Phyllis.-.Elementals.2.-.1988.-.Crystal.Palace" - читать интересную книгу автора (Eisenstein Phyllis)

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To help them, Cray called on three demonsЧBerith of Ice, a very young Ice demon
with the form of a small snowball; Elrelet of Air, a cloud no larger than a man,
white and puffy as bleached wool; and Gildrum, the ball of flame. When all were
ready, Cray hung the wooden frame on a wall of his workshop and directed his
spiders to weave a dense sheet of silk upon it. Sepwin inspected this web
closely, calling for a score of corrections before declaring himself satisfied.
Then he and Cray retreated behind a ceramic baffle while Berith spread itself
behind the frame, chilling it and the web until clouds of condensation began to
form around them. At that, Gildrum took CrayТs ingot of silvery metal into its
incandescent body. A moment passed, and then, with a powerful blast of
superheated air, Gildrum spewed out a white-hot mist of metal. Like fog, the
tiny particles saturated the space all about the web till silk, wall, and floor
were plastered with a thin layer of metal. The condensation vanished, replaced
by heat shimmer. Yet quickly as it came, the heat was gone, neutralized by the
Ice demon; a few heartbeats later, the metal limning of the web was cool enough
for human hands to touch. The wooden form had not even been tinged by char.
Berith withdrew.
Cray examined the new surface. It was fine-grained, as if covered with dull gray
dust. Cray nodded to the Ice demon. УYou have done well, friend Berith, and I
thank you for your aid. We have no further need of you.Ф
Berith shot out the window and vanished in the afternoon sky.
УNow Elrelet,Ф Cray said, turning to the cloud that floated near GildrumТs
flame, Уyour gentlest touch.Ф
The Air demon scooped up the mound of fine rouge that waited on CrayТs workbench
and leaped to the metal-coated web, its body shrinking and rounding till it
exactly filled the concave bowl. Then that fluffy whiteness began to boil like a
pot of beans over a high flame, and when at last it withdrew, the metal surface
was left glittering brightly, as if a million tiny silver beads had been packed
together upon the wooden form.
УVery useful to have all these demons at your serнvice,Ф Sepwin observed. УAs
good as having a fistful of rings.Ф
Cray shook his head. УI canТt count on any but Gildrum and Elrelet.Ф He glanced
at them affectionнately. УFor the restЧit amuses them to help a sorнcerer now
and then, knowing that they neednТt obey if they donТt want to.Ф
Sepwin placed himself before the mirror, and slowly he moved his head back and
forth, left and right, up and down. And suddenly he froze, knees bent slightly.
УThere! There it is! You were right, CrayЧthe mirror can be made of metal!Ф
Cray stepped close to look over his friendТs shoulнder. УI donТt see anything.
Just glitter.Ф
УYou have to be in exactly the right spot. Bring the chalk and the staff.Ф
Cray outlined SepwinТs footprints on the floor and marked the the level of his
eyes on the staff.
УNow you try it,Ф said Sepwin.
Cray stepped into the footprints, but no matter how he adjusted his head, no
matter how he squinted, he saw nothing in the mirror but glitter. УPerhaps it
only works for you.Ф
УI canТt believe that.Ф
УOr perhaps one has to be a Seer.Ф
УNo. That doesnТt feel true.Ф He motioned to Gildrum. УYou try.Ф