"Kerrion Empire - 03 - Earth Dreams" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morris Janet E)

one will fall afoul of the other."

She turned back to the balance of them, some of whom
were softly urging their horses backward, into the dusk,
away from the seeress suddenly burning without flame in
the tricky light.

Then the militia's commander went down on one knee
and all his men followed suit.

A cough came from among the enchanters, but when
she lifted fiery eyes to them and raised an arm with finger
pointing straight at them, they held back smirks no
longer, but bent their knees as well.

Forthwith Shebat, nodding, still full of power, sent out
a dream to engulf them, so that each man sank to the
ground. And their horses, after awhile, drifted away
where the cropping was better, and the sun set entirely,
loosing misty night upon the land. Yet still she held
them, motionless and dreaming, upon the ground. She
had never held so many; she had never felt so strong.
With Chaeron watching her, she proved her worth that
day. Seventeen men she held enthralled until the dew
covered themЧand then she let them out of dreams only
when her husband came to her, shaking her shoulder
gently, nuzzling her hair: "Enough. I yield. You can do
more with dream dances than I can do with every other
tactic I possess. Let them up, Shebat, or leave them as
they are. I am going to make supper, and you are going
to eat it."

It occurred to her then, from the forced levity in his
voice, that perhaps she had shown him too much, pushed
him too far.

But since it was done, she could not undo it, only
rouse the dreamers, one by one. The rebel leader Thome

u

EARTH DREAMS

she left until last, and when she bade him wake, she did
it with a touch upon his brow. "Come again tomorrow,
militiaman, if you dare."

She left him yet knuckling sleep from his squinty eyes
among his horses and his men, while the enchanters she
had charged to let his little band pass unmolested grum-