"David Gemmell - The Damned 02 - The Swords Of Night And Day" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gemmel David)

Prologue
T he sun was warm in a blue sky as the priestess Ustarte stood at the graveside, watching her aides
disguising the tomb. Carefully they placed rocks upon the small, island site, and transferred plants to
cover the recently turned soil. Ustarte pushed back the hood of her scarlet and gold gown, revealing a
hairless head, and a face of startling, ageless beauty.

A great sadness settled upon her. Ustarte had witnessed many deaths in the hundreds of years of her
life, but few had touched her as strongly as the passing of this hero. She gazed down at the dry river bed.
In spring the melt water would rush down from the mountains, and flow around the island on both sides
before becoming a single waterway to the south. Now, in the height of summer, the island was merely a
small hill, dusty and un-memorable. Not a good resting place for a great man.

An elderly priest in yellow robes approached her, his back bent, his gaunt, malformed features and
huge brown eyes showing clearly to the initiated his status as a Joining, a meld of man and beast. Happily
there were few in this benighted world of swords and spears who would recognize his origins. To most
he would merely be an ugly little man, with friendly eyes.

тАШHe deserved better than this, Holy One,тАЩ said the priest.

тАШAye, he did, Weldi, my friend.тАЩ

Ustarte turned away from the graveside and, leaning on her staff, moved down the hillside into the
shadows. Weldi hobbled after her.

тАШWhy have we done this? The people would have built a great tomb for him, and erected statues. He
saved them, after all. Now none will know where he lies.тАЩ

She sighed. тАШHe will be found, Weldi. I have seen it. It may be fifty years from now, or a hundred. But
he will be found.тАЩ

тАШAnd what then, Holy One?тАЩ

тАШI wish I could say. You remember the Resurrection priest who visited us several years ago?тАЩ

тАШA tall man. He wanted your help with an artefact.тАЩ

тАШYes,тАЩ she said, reaching into a deep pocket in her gown. From it she drew a section of shining metal,
indented, and set with polished gems. Weldi gazed at it.

тАШIt is very pretty. What is it?тАЩ

тАШIt is part of a larger artefact used to produce creatures like us, my dear. To meld and to change
matter. To extract the essence of life and cause it to be reproduced, or reshaped. Beasts to walk like
men, or men to act like beasts.тАЩ

тАШMagical, then?тАЩ

тАШIn a way, Weldi. This is an old world we find ourselves in. It has been through many births and
rebirths. Once there were cities, where buildings were so tall that clouds gathered around their summits.
In that time magic was commonplace - though it was not called magic. I have seen it in the Mirror. It was