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

"The maxim of persistence is the fourth. As the magicians in the guilds like to state
itтАФperfection is eternal. If certain precise rituals are enacted flawlessly, then items can be
produced that will last as long as the life of any demon.

"The fifth is the doctrine of signaturesтАФthe attributes without mirror the powers within. Based
upon closely guarded secret formulas, those that men call alchemists brew strange concoctions that
sometimes produce remarkable results. Far more powerful would be the craft if chance did not play
a role in every successful brewing."

Astron again glanced at Elezar's hands but saw no change. Somehow the listing of the laws of magic
was bound up in whatever was vexing the prince.

"The last two are the principles of sympathy and contagion," Astron hurried to finish. "The
thaumaturges who use them speak of 'like producing like' and 'once together, always together,' but
sympathy and contagion are what they mean. By taking a small part of a whole and exercising it in
a simulation, the rest of the bulk is forced to act correspondingly. It is the craft by which men
build their walls and transport heavy burdens."

"My prince," a deep voice suddenly rumbled from one of the rotunda entrances, "the signal lights
have been blinking. Caspar with his retinue is now on his way. There are twenty-two djinns of
lightning and lesser devils as well."

On the rim of the rotunda, the entrance was darkened by the massive form of a colossal djinn, his
folded wing-tips scraping the archway as he entered. Powerful black muscles rippled across his
chest as he moved. Slitted eyes of piercing yellow glowed in a face of darkest jet.

"What is your command, my prince?" the djinn asked. "Though we are fewer, my clutch brothers and I
can make his landing one that will cost."

Elezar turned to answer, "No, no, Del it nan. To

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meet Caspar on his own terms is surely a strategy of defeat. Invite him in unchallenged. We will
use the time to our advantage."

"A djinn lives to fight, my prince," Delithan rumbled. "He exists only to rip matter asunder and
drink deeply of its dying shrieks. If that is denied, there is little that restrains surrender to
the great monotony."


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"There will be many more battles in the epochs to come, Delithan," Elezar said. "Do not deny
yourself the opportunity to engage in them by a miscalculation now. Push aside thoughts of the
brooding doom. As you have in the past, trust in your prince."

"An epoch ago, none could call himself master of my lord," Delithan said. "But now there is indeed