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

тАЬIтАЩve never seen a coat of arms like this before. It seems to be of glass inlaid with copper ribbons. The
field is quartered, and the quarters are all faintly blue in color, alternating darker and lighter, with no two
quite the same. The bands repeat the lozenge shape concentrically five times.тАЭ

тАЬSome great houses have been known to set their arms in stained glass,тАЭ said Sepwin, тАЬbut I donтАЩt
rec-ognize this pattern.тАЭ

тАЬNor do I.тАЭ

тАЬCan you see anything else? Is there a carpet under her feet? Any special decorations about her
clothing?тАЭ

Cray shook his head. тАЬThereтАЩs just a plainly dressed child and a plaque. Nothing more.тАЭ

тАЬLook closely, Cray. Oh, if only I could see her myself!тАЭ

Cray studied the image for a long moment, and then he said, тАЬThere is one more thing, though I donтАЩt
know how it could help you. SheтАЩs holding some sort of stuffed animal half behind her back, but itтАЩs so
gray and shapeless that I canтАЩt tell what kind it might be.тАЭ He looked to Sepwin. тАЬWell?тАЭ

Slowly, the Seer lowered his hands. тАЬI canтАЩt feel her at all.тАЭ He sighed heavily. тАЬShe might as well be
nowhere.тАЭ

Cray reached out to grasp his arm. тАЬIf one of your skill canтАЩt find her ... perhaps sheis nowhere. First the
mirror was blank, and now ... perhaps itтАЩs playing a joke on me.тАЭ

тАЬNo. The mirror tells only the truth.тАЭ
тАЬBut not enough of it.тАЭ

SepwinтАЩs shoulders slumped. тАЬNo. Not in this case.тАЭ

Cray clapped him on the back. тАЬNo matter, Feldar,тАЭ he said firmly. тАЬWhat could I possibly say to a
six-year-old child? And what could she say to me? No, it doesnтАЩt matter at all.тАЭ And he turned his friend
away from the Mirror of HeartтАЩs Desire.

That night, over dinner, Sepwin asked the lady He-laine to look into her dark pool for Cray, but she
refused. тАЬFor all my age, Feldar, for all these white hairs, I cannot read Cray half as well as you can. If
you could not find her, I shall not be able to. But I will tell you thisтАФтАЭ She touched his wrist lightly. тАЬI can
read you very well, my dear, and I know that you will be involved in the quest for this child.тАЭ

тАЬQuest?тАЭ exclaimed Cray. тАЬThere isnтАЩt going to be any quest.тАЭ

тАЬYes, there will be. But not until the time is right.тАЭ

тАЬAnd when will that be?тАЭ demanded Sepwin.

тАЬYou will know.тАЭ

тАЬI? Not Cray?тАЭ