"Sharon Green - The Far Side of Forever" - читать интересную книгу автора (Green Sharon)

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PROLOGUE

/тАФLaciel

The room was colder than a small room should be, but not
in front of the blazing fire where she sat. The fire jumped
and crackled, trying to get the attention of the uncaring
gray stone all around it, but didn't even succeed in getting
the girl's attention. She sat in the overstuffedtirown leather
armchair, relaxed but intent on something she seemed able
to see in the air in front of thtf'fire and hearth, something
mat seemed to excite her. Her violet eyes glowed in the
firelight and one lock of her platinum blond hair had fallen
over her right shoulder, but other than that she sat unmov~
ing and unspeaking.

Beside her chair, to the left, the dim, warm air stirred
and began to thicken and darken, increasing until it was
deep black and palpable, beating and pulsing with obvious
life- In the midst of the living cloud were two red eyes,
blazing as hot as the fire, intelligent and aware and con-
scious of power in a way most beings never achieved. The
eyes looked around, saw the girt and the way she stared,
narrowed very briefly with disturbance, then widened again.
The black cloud immediately began stirring a second time,
and in five heartbeats it had assumed a form that was
definitely feline in nature, four legs, large body, long tail,
big head and pointed ears. All black but for the two red,
burning eyes, which fastened themselves on the motion-
less. oblivious girl.

6 SHARON GREEN

"If you try it, you're a fool." the black beast-cloud said
to her, its voice low and nearly all snarling growl. "More
minds are lost on that plane than ever make it back, usually
because they try it before they're ready. You're doing the
same thing."

"I think 1'hear someone calling you, InThig," the girl
answered with faint annoyance, her eyes still on whatever
she saw. "Why don't you go home and see what they
want?"

"You're scarcely amusing, girl," the beast InThig
growled, stretching its big body out on the stone beside the
girl's chair. "I'm aware of the fact that you don't care to
have people express concern for you, but I'm not people.