"Eternal Champion - 01 - The Eternal Champion" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moorcock Michael)

'Erekose! Please! I beg you!' lolinda's voice echoed her father's. 'Sheath the
sword!'

Reluctantly I slid the sword into its scabbard. Why was I the only one who could
wear the sword without being affected by its radiation?

Was it because, in that transition from my own age to this, I had become
constitutionally different in some way? Was it that the ancient Erekose and the
unborn John Daker (or was it vice versa?) had metabolisms which had adapted to
protect themselves against the power which flowed from the sword?

I shrugged. It did not matter. The fact itself was enough. I was unconcerned. It
was as if I was aware that my fate had been taken out of my hands to a large
extent. I had become a tool. . .

If only I had known then to what use the tool would be put, then I might have
fought against the pull and remained the harmless intellectual, John Daker. But
perhaps I could not have fought and won. The power that drew me to this Age was
very great.

At any rate, I was prepared at that moment to do whatever Fate demanded of me. I
stood there, where I had materialised, in the Tomb of Erekose', and I revelled
in my strength and in my sword.

Later, things were to change.



'I will need clothes,' I said, for I was naked. 'And armour. And a steed. I am
Erekose.'

'Clothes have been prepared,' said King Rigenos. He clapped his hands. 'Here.'

The slaves entered. One carried a robe, another a cloak, another a white cloth
which I gathered had to serve for underwear. They wrapped the cloth around my
lower quarters and slipped the robe over my head. It was loose and cool and felt
pleasant on my skin. It was deep blue, with complicated designs stitched into it
in gold, silver and scarlet thread, The cloak was scarlet, with designs of gold,
silver and blue. They gave me soft boots of doeskin to put on my feet, and a
wide belt of light brown leather with an iron buckle in which were set rubies
and sapphires, and I hung my scabbard on this. Then I gripped the sword with my
left fist.

'I am ready,' I said.

lolinda shuddered. 'Then let us leave this gloomy place,' she murmured.

With one last look back at the dais on which the heap of dust still lay, I
walked with the King and the Princess of Necranal out of my own tomb and into a
calm day that, while warm, had a light breeze blowing. We were standing on a