"Reichert, Mickey - Renshai 1 - Last Of The Renshai" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reichert Mickey Zucker)

Haim recoiled with a gasp. Slowed by fatigue, he did not move quickly enough. Carcophan's knife jabbed through his robes at the level of his heart.

Instinctively, Haim clasped his chest, staring at the Southern Wizard in wide-eyed horror. He fell to one knee.

But the knife emerged bloodless, as Shadimar knew it must. There could be no wound. Those who survived the Seven Tasks could not be harmed by any object of Odin's world. Like the Cardinal Wizards, nothing short of the conjured magical creatures called demons or the Swords of Power could harm Haim; though, until Tokar's passing, Haim could still fall prey to mortal illnesses and old age.

Carcophan returned his knife to its hiding place. Turning on his heel, he calmly returned to his seat at the farthest end of the table from Trilless, chuckling beneath his breath along the way.

Haim rose with a slow shakiness that caused Shadimar to worry that the youth had survived the attack, only to die of fear. Trilless scowled, but she did not come to the

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aid of Tokar's apprentice. Any lessons or comforting must come from the Western Wizard.

The room lapsed into uncomfortable silence. Concerned by the weakness and insecurity of the one who would become trained to the position of Western Wizard, Shadimar discarded propriety and extended his mind to touch Tokar's. He hoped to catch a thread of the reason why Tokar had chosen Haim as his successor.

But Shadimar's projection entered only the most superficial corner of Tokar's mind, neatly enclosed by mental defenses he could never hope to defeat, even if he had wanted to enrage his stronger ally.

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. / only wondered if there were things I should know about Haim. He emphasized the pronoun to explain his use of nonverbal communication.

/ 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

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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.

"I have," Haim replied as formally.

"And the eighth task?" Tokar continued.

Now all of the Wizards shifted forward to hear the answer, the rustle of robes and cloaks disrupting the stillness.

"There is no eighth task." Haim parroted the instructions given to him just before the Cardinal Wizards' magic had sent him to face his destiny.

Tokar questioned further. "But one was offered to you?"

"Yes." Haim looked at the Wizards uneasily, specifically avoiding Carcophan's piercing, cat-like stare. "The Keeper of the eighth task offered me a chance at ultimate power, even over the gods. As you advised, I refused it. There is no eighth task."