"Jane Lindskold - Lord Demon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lindskold Jane)

We all laughed, and when the time came we had a second cup of coffee. We discussed again an age-old speculation as
how our feelings compared with humans'. Hate we could understand, but we all wondered about love. Was there really su
thing, or did humans the world over lie to each other every time they said it? I didn't believe that. I knew I could become v
fond of things over a period of time. Was that love? A strong fondness? There was no way of knowing, was there? Unles
could figure out how to be human for a long enough period of time, I didn't know, and I didn't know anyone who did.
"One of life's little mysteries," said Tuvoon.
"Nonsense," said Viss. "Kai Wren loved that old Irishman like a brother."
"You think what I felt was really love?"
"I do." . "Never thought of it that way."
She shrugged.
"I've miles to go," she said.
"Me too," I responded.
We rose. I paid the tab, we stepped outside and faded into the night.
I stopped by my bottle to clean and rack Tuvoon's spirit blade and to pick up a few items.
I swirled my cloak the gray of all my other garments, finishing the lot with a dusting of starlight. The boots I wore came
mid-thigh, and I wore a standard blade at my side. I permitted myself one touch of colorтАФa red feather in my cap. Then I
pushed the cap back on my head at a rakish angle.
Pleased with the effect, I made my way out into the world of humans, slipped over to a traveling plane, and commenced
through the sparkling twilight, past ghostly dolmens and ruined castles. No one lived in them. They were by way of mirages
created by the life force of this place in mimicry of the Earth.
After a time, I came to the ground, found a small sphere in a hollow tree by a crossroads. I withdrew it, opened it, and st
its contents. It was a representation of the Earth, and a twinkling line across the Atlantic showed that I was nearing Irelan
replaced the sphere and sped on. Shortly, I had a feeling that I was over land. I climbed higher into the air and spread my
wide.
There. Ahead. A nonhuman mind hovered above a hilltop.
"Hello," I greeted, and adjusted my course to meet it. It said nothing, but simply regarded my approach. When I was at a
respectful distance, I halted.
"And what might you be up to?" it asked.
"I've a story to tell and a need of the right man to tell it to."
"Well, Ireland is full of stories. One more won't hurt. Come join me. Where did you learn to speak the Irish?"
"From my servant, Oliver O'Keefe."
"Lots of O'Keefes in Ireland."
"This one was born in I611 and he was murdered last night in San Francisco."
"Here. Come sit by me and tell me more."
I did, and he uncorked a small jug of poteen and passed it to me.
"Have a swig of this," he said, and I did, and it was wonderful.
"Thanks."
"Now, I know you for one of the Chinese sidhe, and we have never had much to do with each other one way or the othe
as I see it, we don't have anything against each other."
"That's how I see it, too."
"Might I be askin' your name?"
"I'm Kai Wren, the bottlemaker," I said.
"Holy shit! Lord Demon himself!" he said. "Call me Angus of the Hills."
"Very well." I withdrew a copy of Ollie's death certificate and passed it to him. "Everything on it's right except for the da
birth," I said, "since humans don't understand these things. I filled it out from what Ollie told me over the years. He was bo
your jurisdiction, I believe. Little village, back of beyond."
Angus nodded.
"Then you can take me there and is it proper if you wish to?"
"Oh, yes."
"There is no higher authority that I must go through if I wish to meddle in the humans' affairs? You are the ruling spirit?"