"Mercedes Lackey - Valdemar Anthology - Sun in Glory" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

for us, as we would never be coming back. There were some very happy mages as a result of the grand
book handout that Master Thomas and I conducted. So many loved, well-used books, now in so many
different hands. Oh well, at least they would be appreciated. I sighed and staggered off to find Master
Thomas. I hoped that he wasn't moving around, as I didn't want the camp's last memory of me being me
hyperventilating as the pack became too much. Probably a forlorn hope, unfortunately.
***
Our Gate was finally ready. A place sufficiently far away had been found: a forest, with really huge
trees. It was so remote that nobody even recognized the types of trees. We all lined up, all loaded down
with our carefully prepared and very heavy packs. Have I already mentioned heavy? Anything that
couldn't be carried just wasn't taken. When people complained about their packs being too heavy,
Master Thomas just took out the really useless things-like jewelry, coins, and so on-and showed them
the differences in weight. It worked every time. As soon as everyone was ready, the Gate was activated,
showing the forest on the other side. When the last person was through the Gate, it closed. The light from
the camp on the other side disappeared, and we were left in the half-light under towering tree giants. We
were a long way away from home, with no chance of ever returning.
Master Thomas clapped his hands for everyone's attention.
"We have one long-term problem and a lot of short-term problems," he began. "The long-term
problem is finding a place with suitable resources to settle down and build a village. The short-term
problems are who will cook, who will hunt, who shares tents with whom, what the rotations of lookouts
are to be-in other words our organization for traveling and getting along together. Before we start
moving, we must have a meeting to sort everything out. Anyone who has anything to contribute, or who
thinks they can do something particularly well, should speak up. This meeting is essential to the group's
well-being, so everyone must come along."
The meeting had a really long agenda, and it lasted until after dark. Master Thomas was quickly
confirmed as the leader of our group, because he was already experienced with organizing large numbers
of people. After that was established he ran everything efficiently, but it still took a long time and a lot of
talking. Everyone had to do something, but he arranged duties so that people did what they were good at
or enjoyed. The only people who did not have mundane tasks assigned to them were Master Thomas
and myself. Master Thomas actually had the hardest task of all: running things, making decisions, sorting
out disputes, and shouldering the heavy burden of responsibility. My trouble was that quite a few people
didn't realize that I was his student. After a few complaints along the lines of "What about 'im, he don't
have to do no dishwashing!" everyone was treated to a lecture from Master Thomas, about who had
heated the water, driven the insects away, made the tents waterproof, and many other things. It then
became established that for the little spells, you came to me, not him. After that, I not only didn't have to
do chores, but I was called on to do a lot of spells that I had never tried before. I knew I would have to
study my books a lot more, and find new possibilities in some previously useless spells.
I did some reading by the campfire's light, then returned to the tent that Master Thomas and I
shared. He was outside, staring up at the sky through a break in the trees' canopy. He stood up and
asked me to walk with him. We had only gone a short distance when there was a flash of light in the east,
but it was the sort of flash that blazed out but just kept getting stronger and stronger for a few seconds.
Slowly it began to fade. Everyone had stopped talking by then, and they were all looking across at us. I
had to turn away, so that I did not show the worry that I was feeling for the people nearer to the blast.
Many of my friends had been very much closer.
"That must have been the magical weapon of Urtho's combined with the Tower being annihilated,"
said Master Thomas. "Hurry, we don't have much time." I had to start to run to keep up with him.
"Why are you running? What's the threat to us?"
"Think. We are at least an ocean away from all that magic, yet we still saw the flash! We must
shield the campsite from the magical blast which will follow. If we shield the group, the effects on us might
not be too bad. We can only hope."
We gathered everyone together and began putting up the shields. A lot of people were scared, but