"Robert Jordan - Conan 02 - The Invincible" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jordan Robert)

The Ophirian's lips labored to form the words, but no sound emerged. Only horrendous bubbles in the
diminishing flow of blood from the chasm that had been his throat.

Amanar smiled. His hand thrust into the slit, caught the pulsing heart, and ripped it free. It beat one last
time as he held it before the Ophirian's eyes.

"Die," the mage said. The god-demon released its hold, and the husk on the altar slumped at last in
death.

Sitha appeared beside the mage with a golden plate, on which Amanar placed the heart. That, too, had
its uses in his magicks. He took the linen cloth the reptilian offered, and wiped his blood-stained hands.
Sitha turned away.

"Amanar." The god-demon's susurration rolled against the walls. "Thou useth my sacrifice, soulless one,
for thine own pleasure."

Amanar glanccd hurriedly about him before answering. The woman writhed in her bonds on the edge of
insanity. She heard nothing beyond the shrieks her gag choked back. Sitha continued out of the sacrificial
chamber as if he had not heard. The S'tarra had little capacity to think for themselves, but they could
obey orders. Sitha would place the heart in a golden bowl prepared beforehand with spells to keep its
contents fresh. Only then would he be able to consider anything else, if his soulless mind were ever
capable of considering anything.

The mage dropped his head on his chest and bowed in his most humble fashion. "O, great
Morath-Aminee, I am but thy humble servant. Thy servant who freed thee from the bonds set upon thee
by the Dark One." Gods and demons could not forget, not as men forget, but oft did they prefer not to
remember debts in their dealings with men. The reminder could not be amiss.

A golden-scaled tentacle reached toward Amanar-it was all he could do not to flinch away-then jerked
back as if from a great heat. "Thou wearest the amulet still."

"O Most High among the Powers and Dominions, this one is so insignificant beside thee that thou
mightest destroy him without noticing such a speck in thy path. I wear this merely that thou mayst be
aware of me, and spare me to thy service and greater glory."

"Serve me well, and in that day when Set is bound where I was bound, in that day when I rule the Outer
Dark, I will give thee dominion over my herds, over those who call themselves men, and thou shalt bring
the multitudes to my feeding."

"As thy word is, so shall it be, great Morath-Aminee." Amanar became aware that Sitha had returned
with two other S'tarra. The necromancer flicked his hand in a summoning gesture, and the two scurried
toward the bloodstained altar, dropping to all fours as they came near the black marble slab. Their eyes
did not rise to the god-demon towering over them as, half-groveling, they unfastened the sacrifice and
bore it away.
A different tap jerked Amanar around to stare at the tall cavern doors. No one dared disturb these
ceremonies. The tap came again. He twitched as the voice of the god-demon hissed in his mind.

"Go, Amanar. This concerneth thee most vitally."

He glanced back at the great golden serpent-shape, rearing motionless above the black altar. The