"Ed Greenwood - Forgotten Realms - Elminster 4 - Elminster In Hell" - читать интересную книгу автора (Greenwood Ed)

feet made him stagger and almost fall.
"Laudable," the devil added gloatingly, "but nigh impossible. You see, IтАЩve spent much time
observing your exploits, Old Weirdbeard-and I have uses for you. Oh, yes."
The archdevilтАЩs tentacles were suddenly writhing above his shoulders, like the limbs of an excited
and gigantic spider.
"You will, of course, attempt to escape, perhaps even to harm me. Such failures will make little
difference to your torment-and they will be failures."
Tentacles stretched forth almost lazily, and a diabolical smile widened.
"You see: You're in my cozy little dale now, wizard."
And wearing that same welcoming smile, Nergal reached out with a tentacle and tore Elminster's
right arm off.
Chapter Two
A DEVIL'S WARM MERCY
Nothing is more important than pain. Nothing. It sears and gnaws life itself, commanding all
attention, thrusting even archmages into moaning despair.
This particular archmage was only dimly aware of anything more than his pain. Elminster knew he
was staggering, trying vainly to clutch at his torn and burning shoulder as tentacles slapped and spun him
with lazy glee. Gradually, he became aware of more. The tortured rocks of Avernus stood on all sides,
stabbing up into the blood-red sky like the black fingers of corpses. Someone nearby was screaming-a
raw, hoarse, and endless cry, a siren of agony amid Nergal's gusty laughter.
Sharp stones laid open El's feet. He barely felt that pain through the agony stabbing through him,
leaving him sick and weak. Slowly, he realized something more. The screaming was coining from him.
"Sanity," the archdevil remarked casually, "lasts longer when some vocalization is permitted. It may
be an overvalued condition in most expendable slaves, but I need yours to persist awhile longer. Sing,
then."
Tentacles wriggled and plowed under human skin, burrowing,.. -
El stiffened, trying somehow to scream even harder as talons of pain transfixed him. His cry died as
he choked and strangled on the blood that an outraged stomach spat forth.
"Not even a dagger drawn in defiance?" Nergal mocked. "Not one cantrip, cast to try to make me
belch? Such great magecraft!"
El sagged to his knees, only to find that the tentacles around his legs kept him half-upright, sprawled
limp and broken in midair well above the rocks. Tentacles tightened anew, and El's remaining arm
snapped in three places.
Jagged bones jutted forth as El's arm was twisted crazity-bones that came at the Old Mage's
swimming eyes like blood-drenched daggers as his captor forced El's limbs this way and that, playfully.
"Not even one feeble, flailing spell? Not a ring awakened against me?" The devil's taunt was
accompanied by more sickening pain as the rings on El's remaining hand were wrenched off-along with
the fingers that bore them." You disappoint me, famous wizard, I expected more. Much more."
Retching, El never saw the tentacle that smashed his nose Into bloody shards or the one that slid
across his chest, slicing open the skin like a razor. Suckers latched onto certain winking things of magic
that Mystra had left in his flesh, centuries ago, They flared blindingly and made the devil hiss in pain and
tear ere the tentacles hurled them away,
A blast shook the rocks under El's feet, and then another Nergal laughed with something that might
have been relief.
"Trinkets under your skin-my, what a valued slave you've been. I should be flattered, entertaining
such importance. Even if it is old and feeble, and knock-naked, scarcely worth the effort of tormenting.
Quivering like a lemure- and about as much sport."
Tentacles shook Elminster, and red eyes blazed. "Look at me, human-and heed!" Nergal bellowed.
"I'm your doom, and worse. You're going to be my claw to tear open Faerun, once I've prepared you
properly. There're Just a few more things to do first. I'll tear out all but a tuft of that beard, to leave me