"Phyllis Eisenstein - Elementals 02 - The Crystal Palace" - читать интересную книгу автора (Eisenstein Phyllis)

where he desired a demonтАЩs name to be inscribed. He gripped it hard, and its edges pressed painfully
into the flesh of his palm, his fingers. For a moment, he focused all his rage on that piece of metal; he
wanted to slam it against a wall, to trample it under his feet, to hurl it into the furnace and melt it down to
a formless lump, as if any of those actions could somehow force it to obey him and produce a demon. He
gripped the circlet so hard that his hands shook. At last, very softly, he said, тАЬRegneniel, come here.тАЭ

The creature that answered his summons was taller than a man and grotesquely storklike. It walked on
two spindly, multi jointed legs, and its apple-sized body sprouted three tiny arms as well as a snaky neck
that blended into a long-beaked head. It had no eyes or ears, no feathers or fur or scales, just a smooth
unbro-ken skin as polished and gleaming as milk glass. Sink-ing to the ground at EverandтАЩs feet, it said,
тАЬMy lord, what is your will?тАЭ

Everand tore his left hand from the armlet and raised it as a fist. The third finger bore a silver band set
with a large, faceted diamond, and that gem caught the glare of the blue-white spark and shattered it into
a thousand colors. Playing across the unearthly creatureтАЩs skin, these fragments of light shivered with the
tremor of the hand.

тАЬBy this ring I command you, Ice demon,тАЭ said Everand, and now his voice, too, shook with his an-ger,
though it was very low. тАЬHave you lied to me, my slave? Have you given me false instruction in any
particular?тАЭ

The beak tilted upward, as if the eyeless head were watching him. The voice was human as his own, but
level and emotionless. тАЬMy lord, I have done everything you required.тАЭ

тАЬThink before you speak again, creature! Think of the prison I could send you to, of the dark solitude
that would close you in for the rest of your slavery. Think of that, and tell me again if you have obeyed
me to the letter!тАЭ

тАЬMy lord,тАЭ said the demon, тАЬyour conjuration was correct in every detail. I swear this on the ring that
binds me to you.тАЭ

тАЬThen where is my Fire demon?тАЭ He raised the armlet as if to strike his slave. As so often before, though
Regneniel bent low to the ground, Everand saw defiance in that posture rather than submission. The
demon despised him, he knew it. тАЬSpeak!тАЭ

тАЬMy lord,тАЭ said Regneniel, тАЬthere are none to be had.тАЭ

тАЬWhat? What do you mean?тАЭ

тАЬNo more than that, my lord. At this moment, there are no Fire demons obliged to answer your
summons.тАЭ

тАЬWhatтАФevery one claimed by some other sorcerer? Am I to believe that?тАЭ

тАЬMany are indeed claimed,тАЭ said Regneniel.

тАЬAnd the unclaimed?тАЭ

тАЬThey are all beyond your reach.тАЭ