"Lyndon Hardy - Riddle of the Seven Realms" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hardy Lyndon)

finished constructions. Finally he entered the grand rotunda itself at the very center of the
domain.

8

Astron saw that the great hall was nearly empty. Except for Elezar, in the pit at the very center,
sitting on a pillow of silk and down, and a swarm of imps buzzing about his head, no other demons
were present. The prince was clothed in a glittering robe of deep sea-green, covering all of his
slender body, except for his fingertips. Delicate features, an upturned nose, thin lips, and ears
that were barely pointed sculpted a narrow face. Straw-pale hair ran over a brow flecked with
gold, and half-closed eyes glowered under long curving lashes. No great scales or hair-pierced
warts marred the smooth skin. Like Astron himself, Elezar could pass unnoticed in the realm of men
if he were not too closely regarded.

Astron saw the discontent smouldering behind Elezar's eyes and felt his limbs begin to tighten.
Slowly he started down tile-covered steps toward the prince, barely bothering to notice if any
weavings had altered the shape of the rotunda since his last visit. As before, the ceiling was a
large inverted bowl with a span greater than the outstretched wings of a hundred djinns. Sprays of
soft colors caressed its glassy-smooth surface and glowing crystals throbbed with light all around
the periphery.

A dozen entrances pierced the circular wall which supported the dome, each framed with fluted
columns and interspersed with sculptures of heavy metal or artifacts wrested from other realms.
The flooring was a series of concentric circles, each one a step lower than the last and
converging on the pit in the very center.

"You are late, cataloguer." Elezar's soft voice floated upward from the hub. "Surely even one
whose only concern is the making of lists must know the folly of displeasing a prince."

Astron's arms and legs tightened further. Even his stembrain stirred from its slumber. The
broodmothers had been right; the prince was troubled and did not care if his irritation showed.
With eyes discreetly averted, Astron descended the remaining distance to the pit and squatted
uncomfortably on a small cushion at Elezar's feet.

The prince waited a long moment before he spoke

again, eyeing Astron with a cruel smile. "If I had not watched the hatchings myself, I would not
believe that the demon that huddles before me is no less than a splendorous djinn," he said.

Astron kept his head down and said nothing.

"And what of the broodmothers, mighty cataloguer?" Elezar stepped forward and thrust his toe into
Astron's ribs. "What of the carriers of our seed? Do they tremble with anticipation in your
presence? Does their skin grow moist at your touch?"

The prince paused and then kicked forward a second time. Astron felt a stab of pain in his side,
but did not move. It was but a mere token of what Elezar could do if he unleashed his great power.

"Or perhaps, instead, they merely confide their whispers, as if you were one of their own," Elezar
continued. "Yes, as if you served no more purpose than they. Why should you not retire to their