"Dan Parkinson - Dwarven Nations 02 - Hammer and Axe" - читать интересную книгу автора (Parkinson Dan)

at what some considered his blasphemy. The idea that gods would become
personally involved in the affairs of men! Shocking! But being considered
blasphemous had never bothered Raistlin.

His voice rose to a high pitch. "Mark well my words! With the Queen of Darkness
have come her 'shrieking hosts; as it says in the 'Canticle: And the shrieking
hosts are dragons!" Raistlin drew out the last word into a hiss that, as Flint
said, "shivered the skin:"

"We know all this;" Hederick snapped in impatience. It was past time for the
Theocrat's nightly glass of mulled wine, and his thirst gave him courage to
speak. He immediately regretted it, however, when Raistlin's hourglass eyes
seemed to pierce the Theocrat like black arrows. "W-what are you driving at?"

"That peace no longer exists anywhere on Krynn;' the mage whispered. He waved a
frail hand. "Find ships, travel where you will. Wherever you go, whenever you
look up into the night sky, you will see those gaping black holes. Wherever you
go, there will be dragons!"

Raistlin began to cough. His body twisted with the spasms, and he seemed likely
to fall, but his twin brother, Caramon, ran forward and caught him in his strong
arms.

After Caramon led the mage out of the Council meeting, it seemed as if a dark
cloud had been lifted. The Council members shook themselves and laughed-if
somewhat shakily-and talked of children's tales. To think that war had spread to
all of Krynn was comic. Why, the war was near an end here in Ansalon already.
The Dragon Highlord, Verminaard, had been defeated, his draconian armies driven
back.

The Council members stood and stretched and left the chamber to head for the
alehouse or their homes.

They forgot they had never asked Tanis if he would lead the group to Tarsis.
They simply assumed he would.

Tass, exchanging grim glances with Sturm, left the cavern. It was his night to
stand watch. Even though the dwarves might consider themselves safe in their
mountain fortress, 'Tanis and Sturm insisted that a watch be kept upon the walls
leading into Southgate. They had come to respect the Dragon Highlords toomuch to
sleep in peace without it-even underground.

Tanis leaned against the outer wall of Southgate, his face thoughtful and
serious. Before him spread a meadow covered by smooth, powdery snow. The night
was calm and still. Behind him was the great mass of the Kharolis Mountains. The
gate of Southgate was, in fact, a gigantic plug in the side of the mountains. It
was part of the dwarven defenses that had kept the world out for three hundred
years following the Cataclysm and the destructive Dwarven Wars.

Sixty feet wide at the base and almost half again as high, the gate was operated