"Mickey Zucker Reichert - Renshai 01 - The Last Of The Renshai" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reichert Mickey Zucker)

What is it you wish from me, Shadimar? Tokar kept his thought as patient as his person, yet the
undertone rang through clearly. Shadimar's entrance into his mind was an ill-mannered intrusion.



Shadimar kept his answer general, not wanting to speculate too much while linked with Tokar. I only
wondered if there were things I should know about Haim. He emphasized the pronoun to explain his use
of nonverbal communication.



I think not. There was veiled annoyance beneath the response that quickly turned to bland caution. I
know him well enough to see things you do not. Haim is young. I have three or five decades to work on
experience and confidence. The Western Wizard made a subtle, dismissing gesture that bid Shadimar
leave his mind.



Shadimar obeyed, not wholly satisfied with the explanation. As he withdrew, he thought he caught a faint
feeling of doubt, but he could not be sure whether it came from the Western Wizard or as backlash of his
own concerns. Tokar's composure did little to ease Shadimar's mind; tranquillity was the Western
Wizard's trademark. Should the newest in the line of Wizards prove too weak, the memories of his
predecessors might overwhelm him. Of them all, this was especially true of the Western line. For reasons
Shadimar could not fathom, Odin had decreed that it would always have the most power, while the
Northern and Southern lines should stay equal, and the Eastern should remain the weakest.



Perhaps Tokar wants his successor to be feeble, so that he can overpower Haim from within and remain
in control past his time. The thought seemed ludicrous. Why would he do such a thing when he could
simply wait to choose an apprentice and remain in power several more centuries ? Tokar had served as
Western Wizard for longer than six hundred years; but according to Shadimar's inherited memories,
others had remained in power nearly a millennium. Since each Wizard chose his own time of passing,
there was no specific criterion for such a decision. At some point, each Wizard simply found the time
right to expire, and only a rare one had lost his life early to demons or to one of the Swords of Power.



The silence grew unreasonably long, even for a meeting of near-immortals. Davrin did not strum, though
his lips moved as he composed a song. Haim stood with his head bowed, waiting for his master to speak.
Even Car-cophan sat in stony quiet.
At length, Tokar broke the hush. "You have finished the Seven Tasks of Wizardry.''



Shadimar frowned, even his vast patience tried. It seemed nonsensical for the Western Wizard to wait
so long to voice a self-evident statement.