"Lyndon Hardy - The Master of Five Magics" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hardy Lyndon)

was done, he flung the splinter high into the air with a dramatic gesture while the basket
remained unperturbed on the ground.


file:///F|/rah/Lyndon%20Hardy/Hardy,%20Lyndon%20-%20Master%20of%20Five%20Magics,%20The.txt (3 of 207) [6/4/03 9:25:35 PM]
 file:///F|/rah/Lyndon%20Hardy/Hardy,%20Lyndon%20-%20Master%20of%20Five%20Magics,%20The.txt


The men-at-arms wasted no time in loading two large notched beams into the basket. Morwin against
cranked up the wheel, and Alodar removed a fresh splinter and spoke the incantation. Moving with
more haste than before, he brought the splinter directly to the clamp; the basket with its burden
hurled from the castle to the cliffs. The sergeant directed some small corrections until the
basket hovered directly below the ledge that the rider had found. Morwin moved the clamp and
secured the splinter in the new position.

After the gondola was unloaded, the entire process was repeated many times, with each worker
intent upon his tasks. Alodar broke the spell upon the return. Morwin rewound the crank and the
men-at-arms packed a new load of beams, brands, or lashings. Another incantation and fixing of a
splinter in the clamp and another bundle would be delivered to the ledge in the distance. Several
hours later the men-at-arms were the passengers for the final two trips, and then the job was
done.

Weary from the concentration, Alodar looked to the west. "How long will it take them to assemble
it?" he asked.

"At least six hours. They must take care to tune it to



exactly the same tension it had here. Every shot will count, and they can waste none on range
calibration," the sergeant responded, his voice now showing some excitement. "With just a bit more
luck, Bandor's entire siege train will be smoldering ashes by nightfall."

They fell silent and waited, listening to time being marked off by the rhythmic crash of rock and
swish of arrows below. Near dusk, Alodar sprang up from his vigil excitedly.

"Look, they are signaling that they are ready."

As he spoke, a flaming brand arched upwards from the ledge and down into the valley, disappearing
into the silhouettes of the tents formed by the setting sunlight.

A minute passed with no discernable change in the campsite; but then as the second shot was being
launched, the central tent became alive with flame.

"A hit, a direct hit on Bandor's tent," the sergeant shouted, "Look at it take hold of that dry
canvas! It will spread to the others in no time at all. And look, here comes the next missile
right on the mark as well."

A second tent burst into flame, and then a third. Even from the distance, Alodar could hear an
alarm gong sound and the rising hubbub of voices.