"Mercedes Lackey - In Celebration of Lammas Night" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

strictly of endings to a song would have made for rather limited reading.
And so the book now known as Lammas Night was born.
What you hold in your hands is an all-new collection of fantasy stories by
some of the brightest stars in the field. Each was given a copy of "Lammas
Night" and was told to use it as a springboard for his or ner imagination. The
only restriction was that their stories must show some tie-in to the original
song.
What resulted is a wild range of stories, some
2 Lammas Night
traditional, some outright bizarre. Lammas Night is both a tribute to the song
and to Misty herself It is also a chance for readers to enter new worlds of
fantasy and see the creative imagination at work.
тАФJosepha Sherman
Lammas Night
MERCEDES LACKEY
A waning moon conceals her face Behind a scudding wind-torn cloud.
(a wind-torn shroud) She wraps herself in its embrace As in a tattered cloak.
(a shadow cloak) The wind is wailing in the trees. Their limbs are warped and
bent and bowed.
(so bleak and cowed) I stand within my circle now ^ To deal with what I
woke.
(I wakeтАФI see, but not yet free.)
A wanderer of wizard land I was, until a month ago
(so well I know)
The headman of this village came And begged that I should stay.
(so cold and fey)
"For since our wizard died," he said "And why he died we do not knowтАФ
(so long ago!)
We have no one to weave us spells And keep the Dark at bay."
(the dark, so deep: so cold the sleep)
4 Lammas Night
"His house and books are yours, milady, If you choose but to remain."
(remembered pain) His offer was too tempting To be lightly set aside
(remembered pride) I'd wearied of my travel, being Plaything of the sun and
rainтАФ
(choose to remainтАФ) This was the chance I'd hoped forтАФ And I said that I would
bide.
(I hopeтАФI prayтАФand you must stay)
Perhaps if I had been a man, And not a maid, perhaps if I Had been less
lonely, less alone, Or less of magic folkтАФ
(the spell-bound broke) Whatever weakness was in me, Or for whatever reason
why
(my reason why)
Something slept within that house That my own presence woke.
(You dream so muchтАФI try to touch)
A half-seen shadow courted me, Stirred close at hand or by my side.
(to bid you bide) It left a lover's tokenтАФone Fresh blossom on my plate.
(a fragrant bait)
I woke to dangerтАФknew the young Magician still to Earth was tiedтАФ
(for freedom cried) And tied to meтАФand I must act.