"Jean Lorrah - Savage Empire 05 - Sorcerers of the Frozen Isles" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lorrah Jean)

She hugged her brother, a striking visual contrast between the small, pale woman with hair so light a
blond it looked white in some lights, and the tall black man who called her sister. Wulfston at least looked
strong. Aradia's apparent frailty belied the incredible Adept powers at her com-mand, for she was in the
prime of her powers and still growingтАФas was Lenardo.

Wulfston had been adopted by Aradia's father when his Adept powers manifested in early childhood.
The two children had somehow grown up best of friends, closer than many siblings by blood. There were
still times when Wulfston knew better than Lenardo how to cope with Aradia's willfulness.

The group of people who together ruled the Savage Empire had grown to include Lenardo, Aradia,
Wulfston, Torio, Melissa, Lilith, Ivorn, and Master Clement, who had been teacher to both Lenardo and
Torio. Melissa was not there when they arrived; she was at the hospital set up here in Zendi so that the
most seriously ill or injured need not be taken all the way to Gaeta for expert care. A Reader grown up in
an Academy, like Torio, she had already been a skilled healer when she learned to use Adept powers,
and now her ability to cure was almost miraculous.

Torio went to his room and unpacked clean clothes, eager for the luxury of a genuine bath. At Wulfston's
castle he could have a shower, the water warmed by the sun on the rooftop cistern, or in winter a hot
bath with the water hauled by servants to his room. But Zendi, which had once been an Aventine city,
had real plumbingтАФand it was put to full use in the luxurious bathhouse.

Decius, a young Reader who had come here with Master Clement, joined him, walking easily on his
wooden leg. "Zanos says the Master Sorcerers of Madura might be able to grow me a new leg," he
announced as he removed his peg before sliding into the water.

"What?" Torio asked in confusion. He recalled Zanos, the huge red-haired gladiator who had turned out
to have minor Adept powers. He had seduced a female ReaderтАФTorio couldn't remember her name.
The two had escaped the Aventine Empire in the chaos of the short war last summer, and ingratiated
themselves with Lilith by keeping another band of outlaws from taking over her castle and stealing her
treasures while she was away.

"He's been asking everybody about Madura," Decius explained in typical adolescent carelessness for
logical connections. "That's where he was born, and kidnapped and brought to Tiberium to be a
gladiator. I mean, he was captured as a little boy, and then when he grew upтАФ"

"I understand, Decius," said Torio, luxuriating in water deep enough to swim in. "What's this about
Master Sorcerers?"
"I guess that's what they call Adepts thereтАФ but they're Readers, too, and they can do lots more than
our Adepts. At least, that's what the legends say. Some sailors saidтАФ"

"Sailors' tales, Decius? Aren't you a good enough Reader to tell they make most of their adventures up?"

"Well, other people say it, too. They say they can make cut-off limbs grow backтАФthey could probably
fix your eyes, too."

"I get along just fine without them," Torio reminded him.

"WellтАж they say they have the power to fly. And do real magic, like turning men into monkeys.
AndтАФthey even say they can bring the dead back to life!"