"Barbara Hambly - Sun-Cross 1 - The Rainbow Abyss" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hambly Barbara)

candle or brazierтАФthe landlord having an almost hysterical fear of fireтАФbut, despite the
fact that the windows were closed against the bitter cold by heavy wooden shutters, the
lack of light posed little problem for wizards. Though the three menтАФyoung, middle-
aged, and oldтАФsat in complete darkness, Rhion could see the ArchmageтАЩs square, ugly
face and coarse shock of iron-gray hair as easily as if the room were flooded with
daylight. And he saw how the pale eyes shifted at the mention of such things. тАЬAny fool
knows about those.тАЭ
тАЬBut this is more than the Chambers of Silence,тАЭ Jaldis went on, тАЬthat lords build into
the dungeons of their palaces to hold a wizardтАЩs power in checkтАФmore than the pheelas
root that numbs our skills, more than the spells of silence, the fields of silence, that a
powerful mage can weave to cripple his mageborn foes.тАЭ Behind sunken and shriveled
eyelids ruined muscles moved, as if his destroyed gaze could still encompass the gray-
haired old ex-soldier opposite him and the short, sturdy young man at his feet. From the
top of a stack of books beside his chair, JaldisтАЩ opal spectacles seemed to review the
room with a bulging, asymmetrical gaze, and the old manтАЩs hand, deft and shapely
before arthritis had deformed it, stroked subconsciously at the talismans of power
which festooned the rosewood soundbox like queer and glittering seaweed upon a rock.
тАЬI am speaking of a world, a universe, where magic does not exist at all, and has not
existed for many years.тАЭ
тАЬAnd IтАЩm saying such a thingтАЩs preposterous,тАЭ Shavus retorted. тАЬWhat you think you
heardтАж what you might have seenтАжтАЭ He shook his head again, angry and dismissive,
but Rhion saw the heavy, corded hand fidget uncomfortably with the snagged brown
wool of his robe.
тАЬI know what it is that I felt.тАЭ JaldisтАЩ thin face hardened with a flash of angry pride,
though the monotonous voice of the soundbox did not alter. тАЬI have opened a Dark Well
and through it have seen into the Void which lies between all the infinite number of
universes of which the Cosmos is made! And in that VoidтАжтАЭ The sweet, shrill tones

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The Rainbow Abyss


sank. тАЬIn that Void I heard a voice crying out of a world where magic had once existed,
but now exists no more.тАЭ
тАЬJaldis, old friendтАжтАЭ Shavus leaned forward placatingly, causing the ruinous chair to
emit an alarming creak. тАЬIтАЩm not saying you didnтАЩt see it, didnтАЩt hear it. But I am asking
how, if magic has ceased to exist in some other universe, someone there could make his
voice heard in the Void? IтАЩve studied the Void as well, you know. IтАЩve opened Dark Wells
into it, to try to glimpse something of how the Cosmos is formedтАжтАЭ
тАЬIтАЩm glad someone has,тАЭ Rhion remarked, folding his arms around his knees and
huddling a little more deeply into his faded black cloak. тАЬThe other night when Jaldis
asked me to get a message to you about this was the first IтАЩd even heard of the things.тАЭ
тАЬWhich is as it should be,тАЭ the Archmage snapped irritably. тАЬIt is not a branch of
knowledge for the youngтАФor the light-minded.тАЭ
He turned back to face the blind man, bundled like a drying skeleton in cloak and quilts
which all but hid the tattered brown robes of the foremost Order of Wizards in the
world. His tough, seamed face softened. тАЬOld friend, in all my studies of the Void, in all
my communications across it and through it, IтАЩve never encountered a world where
magic in some form didnтАЩt exist. IтАЩm not denying that you heard something. But one
piece of hearsay is damn little grounds to risk the hideous danger of crossing the Void