"Chris Roberson - Companion to Owls" - читать интересную книгу автора (Roberson Chris)

milky white shade, a crest of red rising on its narrow, diamond-shaped head. Its eyelids were closed, and
even from a distance of some yards, North could see the steady rise and fall of its long ribcage as the
serpent drew steady breath.

North grabbed the necromancer by the back of his dark robe, and dragged him to safety beyond the
curve of the Steeple. They would need to find another route to the next level, perhaps by entering the
body of the Steeple itself through a service conduit, and ascending from within.

The necromancer, though, had other ideas. He had hit upon a plan. He outlined it, in brief, and it was the
most North had ever heard him speak.
****
The necromancer asked North whether he knew of the Draconce, or dragon-stone, and North allowed
that he did. The Draconce, a white stone found within the skulls of still living dragons, was a prize rarer
than rubies, more valuable than chalcedony, beryl, or chrysoprase. The Draconce was said to resonate
with the thoughts of the serpent, and if removed before the beast's mind had gone dim, it retained the
elemental power of those deep, ancient thoughts. Dragon-stones were prized not only for their
beauty--which was considerable--but also for more arcane and occult properties of their nature, proving
useful in augury, divination, and summonings.

If North and the necromancer were to subdue the lindworm and retrieve the Draconce from its still-living
mind, the necromancer held, they could sell it to a thaumaturge for a pocket full of specie. They would be
wealthy beyond the dreams of avarice for the balance of their days.

As North mulled this over in his thoughts, considering the risks and benefits, the necromancer's ambition
outpaced his words. Suppose, the necromancer suggested, the pair of them were to keep the Draconce
for themselves? The autarchs of the eastern continent, he had heard it said, wear Draconces as jewelry,
which both mark their immense wealth, but also safeguard their position and power, through some
agency. If two such humble men as the necromancer and North were to come into possession of such a
precious jewel, just think how their positions in life might change. Just think, the necromancer said, of the
heights they might reach.

North looked up at the spires of the North Steeple, disappearing into the thin reaches of the high
atmosphere overhead. He knew of no greater heights.

North was for following a different route to the upper reaches or, better yet, ending their expedition there
and then, returning to the roof and leaving the single remaining revenant for some other time--the
Roofman did not mention his unsettling affection for the shade of the young woman. The necromancer
was adamant, though, and inveigled North with his honeyed words. He promised wealth, and position,
and power. In the end, North agreed to the necromancer's scheme, if only to stop the barrage of
entreaties. This course, at least, would keep the young woman's shade safe, for the time being.
****
Once the necromancer had convinced North of the need to retrieve the Draconce, it fell to the Roofman
to contrive a way to accomplish this end. North considered their options, and devised a suitable plan.

They would capture one of the yllerion birds whose nest they'd passed, tether it, and use it as bait to lure
the lindworm out from under the bartizan. Once the serpent was in the open air, they could use North's
implements of work to bash the lindworm's skull in, and then retrieve the Draconce from its still-living
mind before its last thought had fled.

They captured the yllerion, though the necromancer was little help in the task, leaving the steeple jack to