"C. S. Friedman - Coldfire 1 - Black Sun Rising" - читать интересную книгу автора (Friedman C. S)

monsters that the fae has brought to life, using manтАЩs fear as a template . . . I
swore to fight those things, Reverend Vryce. At any cost to myself. I swore that
the fae would be tamed, according to the ProphetтАЩs guidelines.тАЭ
тАЬAnd then came a letter. From your Matriarch, your Holy Mother. Informing
me that the west had begun an investigation into how the fae might be
manipulated for Church purposes, by a chosen few trained toward that end.
Sorcery! Dress it up in holy silks as you will, it still stinks. I argued with her,
pleaded with her, I would have gone so far as to threaten her if I thought it
would do any good . . . but your Holy Mother is a headstrong woman, and her
mind was made up. And now I am watching my Church dissolve, Reverend
Vryce, my dream of salvation corrupted . . .тАЭ He turned back to Damien, cold
eyes narrowed. тАЬAnd you are the vehicle of that corruption.тАЭ
тАЬNo one said you had to have me,тАЭ Damien snapped - and instantly regretted
his lack of control. HeтАЩd been prepared for much worse than this; why was he
overreacting? It was the fae that had affected him, responding to the PatriarchтАЩs
will. Why? What did he want?
For me to lose control, he realized. For me to act in such a way that he
would have no choice but to cast me out. It staggered the imagination, that a
man who neither accepted nor understood the fae could Work it so well - without
ever knowing that he did. How much of the manтАЩs intolerance was rooted in his
own need to deny the truth?
тАЬNo,тАЭ the Patriarch agreed. тАЬI could have fragmented the Church instead,
given birth to a schism that might never heal . . . or begun a holy war, trying to
avoid that. Those options were even more distasteful, in the end, and so I
agreed. Send me your sorcerer, I told her. Let me see what he does. Let me see
how he operates. Let me see for myself that his Working is no threat to our
faith.тАЭ His expression was icy. тАЬIf you can demonstrate that to my satisfaction IтАЩll
be a very surprised man.тАЭ
Mustering all his self-control, Damien answered coolly, тАЬIтАЩll regard that as a
goal, Holiness.тАЭ
The blue eyes fixed on him, pinpoints of azure fire. тАЬDamien Kilcannon Vryce.
Knight of King GannonтАЩs Order of the Golden Flame. Companion of the Earth-Star
Ascendant. Reverend Father of the Church of the Unification of Human Faith on
Erna. What is our calling, to you?тАЭ
Damien stiffened. тАЬA dream - that I would die to uphold, or kill to defend.тАЭ
The Patriarch nodded slowly. тАЬYes. Well recited. The definition of your Order
- first voiced in a more bloodthirsty time than this, I dare say. But you, Reverend
Vryce - the man. The dreamer. What do you believe?тАЭ
тАЬThat youтАЩre wrong,тАЭ Damien answered quietly. тАЬThat our traditional belief
system is outdated. That our ancestors perceived of the world in terms of black
and white, when nearly all of it is made up of shades of gray. That the Church
must adapt to that truth, in order to remain a vital entity on this world. The
survival of our dream,тАЭ he stressed, тАЬdepends upon it.тАЭ
For a long moment the Patriarch simply gazed upon him, silent. тАЬShe chose
well,тАЭ he said at last. Ivory silk rippled in the breeze as he reached out to take
hold of the window and shut it again. тАЬBut tell me this. When you work your
sorcery - when you hold the essence of this world in your hands, and use your
will to give it form - can you honestly tell me that the concept of, power, for its
own sake, doesnтАЩt tempt you? Have you never once Worked the fae for your own
good - your own personal good, independent of the ChurchтАЩs need? Never once