"Katherine Kerr - Deverry 06 - A Time Of Omens" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kerr Katherine)

was still hours away. Swearing under her breath she got up, rubbed herself dry with her dirty shirt, and
put on her cleaner one to go outside for a breath of air. The compound was utterly silent, utterly dark
except for the faint murmur of water in the fountain and a glimmer of stars far above. She made her
careful way across the cracked tiles to the fountain, groped around, and found a safe seat on its edge.
Here outside, with a trace of breeze brushing her face and the sound of water splashing nearby, she felt
cool enough to think.

Getting an Anmurdio ship for the trip south was out of the question. She decided that straightaway. Even
if the crew proved trustworthy, they and their passengers both would still likely die from the bad water
and worse food on such a long journey. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she
could never subject the troupe to the journey, not even if they had the best boat in the world to carry
them. Not even Marka? She indulged herself with a few choice curses on SalamanderтАЩs head. They
could neither take the lass along nor leave her behind, not now, unless of course Salamander stayed with
her. But go alone? She was willing to admit that the idea of traveling alone across the southern sea
frightened her, in spite of all her dweomer, but she also knew that if she had to, she would. When she
looked up, the stars hung bright and cold, a vast indifferent sweep dwarfing even a dweomermaster and
her concerns in a tide of light and darkness. In the spirit of an invalid demanding a lantern in her nighttime
chamber, Jill snapped her fingers and called upon the Wildfolk of Aethyr. They came, clustering round
the decayed stone nymph in the center of the fountain and shedding a faint but comforting glow.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html




The silver light made her think of Dallandra, just idly at first, until an idea struck home like an arrow. Jill
pointed at one of the spirits hovering nearby.

тАЬYou know the lands of the Guardians. Fetch Dallandra for me.тАЭ

The spirit winked out of manifestation, but whether it had truly understood the command, Jill couldnтАЩt
say. She waited for a long time, was, in fact, about to give it up and go back inside when she saw a wisp
of silver light gathering above the fountain.

тАЬDalla?тАЭ She breathed out the name.

But it was only an undine, raising itself up as sleek as a water snake, to stare at her with enormous eyes
before vanishing in a swirl of water. Dressed in her elven clothes, though the amethyst jewel no longer
hung round her neck, Dallandra herself strolled across the courtyard, as solid as the cobblestones.

тАЬI canтАЩt believe I managed it,тАЭ she remarked, grinning, and she spoke in Elvish. тАЬBut it worked, and here
I am. Jill, IтАЩve got so much to tell you. EvandarтАЩs found the islands, first off, and we can take you there.тАЭ

тАЬTake me there?тАЭ Jill felt as muddled as if someone had just struck her on the head. тАЬYouтАЩve got a
ship?тАЭ

тАЬNo, but we donтАЩt need one. ItтАЩs EvandarтАЩs dweomer. But I donтАЩt know how many of you we canтАФтАЭ

тАЬIтАЩll be the only person making the trip. IтАЩve been dreading taking other people along with me. I canтАЩt tell
you how grateful I am! For all I knew, we could all drown out there.тАЭ