"Julian May - Trillium 2 - Blood Trillium" - читать интересную книгу автора (May Julian)

door was a cheerful hearth where a true fire always burned,
for Haramis found inspiration in staring at the flames, even though they were less efficient in
warming than the hypocaust system employed diroughout the rest of the Tower. A pair of spiral
ramps coiling up from opposite sides of the room gave access to the bookshelves, and there were
tall, narrow windows piercing the wall along the spirals as well, which lit the place brighdy
during the day. After dark, the magical lanterns flanking the windows gave soft illumination. On
her large worktable by the fire was a curiously wrought candelabrum, using the same ancient
science, which blazed brightly or went dark if one but touched a certain spot on its pedestal.
Standing now in the library's center, Haramis closed her eyes and rested her hand on her talisman,
the white-metal wand widi the circle at one end that hung on a chain about her neck. Her eyes flew
open and she went dashing up one of the ramps, to pluck a certain book from die shelf.
"Here! This is the one! It was among those that I found in die ruins of Noth, where the Archimage
Binah dwelt for so long."
She returned to the worktable and plopped the dusty volume onto a table and tapped it with the
Three-Winged Circle. The book flew open and certain words seemed to glow. She read them aloud:
" 'It shall be an immutable law among die Folk of Mountain, Swamp, Forest, and Sea diat every
artifact of the Vanished Ones found in die ruins shall be shown to the First of their place, and
studied to ascertain whether or not it may have a harmful action, or one not easily controlled, or
one mysterious and perhaps pertaining to powerful magic. It is forbidden to the Folk to use such
artifacts or trade them. They shall be gathered in a safe place, and once a year they shall be
dispatched unto the care of die Archimage, who may store diem in safety at die Inaccessible
Kimilon, or otherwise dispose of them fittingly ...' "
"Now we store the dangerous devices here on Mount Brom," Magira said, "in die Cavern of Black
Ice."
T c i 11 i u
Haramis nodded. "And I assumedтАФwrongly, it seemsтАФdiat this Kimilon was a place in die tower of die
old Archimage. The one that vanished at her deadi. But if our friend Shiki has it right, then die
Kimilon out on the ice must be the place where the Archimage Binah had her cache ... and perhaps
even odier Archimages before her."
Haramis stood frowning down at the open book, still tapping it idly with her talisman. She had
neglected to light die candelabrum and the drop of fossil trillium-amber enclosed widiin the small
wings at the circle's top shone with an interior radiance of its own; but the magical device
offered no further assistance.
"If die man found there is who we diink he is, dien he could only have come to the Inaccessible
Kimilon because die Sceptre of Power sent him. Sent him after we Three besought it to judge usтАФand
judge him."
"ButтАФwhy?" Magira cried. "Why would the Sceptre do such a thing rather than destroy him? Was its
action not intended to restore the balance of die world?"
But Haramis was staring at die glowing amber and spoke as if to herself. "He would have had years
to study all those wondrous ancient artifacts. And then, somehow, he was able to summon his
minions to rescue him. He seized control of Tuzamen with die aid of die Vanished Ones' devices."
Magjira's perplexity was now frankly fearful. "But why? Why did die Sceptre allow this awful thing
to happen?"
Haramis shook her head. "I do not know. If he is truly alive, it must be because he has a role yet
to play in the restoring of die great balance. We thought dial balance had been achieved. Recent
events show dial we were wrong."
"In my opinion, A^is the one who is at die root of all die recent troubles!" Magira asserted. "His
agents of dark magic could be fomenting die human border unrest, and die turmoil among die Forest
Folk, and even die sad antagonism between Queen Anigel and die Lady of die EvesтАФ"
Wearily, Haramis held up her hand. "My dear Magira, you must leave me. I must think and pray and