"Sniegoski, Thomas E - Outcast - 04 - Wurm War" - читать интересную книгу автора (Sniegoski Thomas E)

"It was Alhazred," Timothy began. "By absorbing the soul energies in the ghostfire, he managed to connect himself to the magical matrix. He was draining it, making himself stronger and stronger. He was going to try to take control of the whole thing, to command all the magic in the world. Leander tried to stop him, but Alhazred was too strong. If I hadn't done what I did ..."
"What did you do, Timothy?" the black bird asked in a troubled whisper.
"I ... I touched the matrix," he explained. "I touched the matrix and for a moment, I think I might have shut it down."
The mages huddled together, whispering among themselves. The suspicion in them had turned to utter terror at the very thought of such a thing.
"Oh, dear," Sheridan muttered.
"You sure did something, kid," Edgar said. "For a minute there I thought the whole place was going into the drink."
Timothy looked around at the shambles the room had become, shelves fallen over and debris scattered across the floor. "Is everybody all right?" he asked. "Is SkyHaven all right?"
"Other than the mess, everything appears to be fine now," Caiaphas replied. "But, Timothy, it was not just SkyHaven that was affected. For a moment we all felt our magic leave us."
His head swam with the enormity of what he had done. He had no idea that he could be capable of such a feat, and for a brief moment, he was actually afraid of himself.
"Timothy did what was necessary," Cassandra said, her voice filled with authority and gravity. As it should have been, for with Leander's demise, she was the one, true Grandmaster of the order now. "If not for him, Alhazred would have been unstoppable." She looked about the chamber, making certain that all were listening. "Without Timothy, we would all be enslaved to Alhazred now, all of our magic in his control."
Cassandra turned to one of the acolytes. "Take Ivar to the physician at once," she ordered.
The mage bowed at the waist, then carefully approached the Asura warrior. Ivar hesitated, looking to Timothy.
"Don't worry, old friend," Timothy said. "I'll be fine until you get back."
Ivar nodded once, and allowed himself to be led from the chamber. No sooner had they departed than Carlyle, personal assistant to the Grandmaster, charged into the room, several more acolytes in tow.
"Thank the gods," he said, placing a hand to his chest. Carlyle was normally fussy and derisive, but in the midst of this crisis he had proven himself a valuable ally . . . and revealed himself to have once been a combat mage. "When SkyHaven began to fall, I thought the worst."
He paused for a moment, carefully studying their number, and frowned. "What of Grandmaster Maddox?"
Timothy couldn't bear to explain it all again, and was grateful when Caiaphas took charge.
"My master fell during the battle with Alhazred," he explained. "I go now to recover his body." The navigation mage turned, moving toward the stairs.
Carlyle's face tightened with pain. He gritted his teeth and seemed to deflate. "Caiaphas," he said, following after the navigation mage, "please allow the order to assist you." He gestured toward the acolytes, and several quickly followed Caiaphas into the secret passage.
"What a dark day," Carlyle added, almost as though he were speaking to himself.
Timothy had always found Carlyle annoying, but during the crisis of the past few days, he had begun to see a different side to the man. There was much more to the Grandmaster's assistant than he had originally believed.
Now Carlyle composed himself, pushing aside his sorrow the way one would remove a cloak, and proceeded to report to Cassandra. He told her of the shipment of Malleum weapons the parliamentary headquarters had received earlier that morning from Tora'nah, and explained that SkyHaven's sudden lurch in the sky had made a mess, but not caused any serious structural damage. At least none that the inspectors could find.
Only half listening to Carlyle's report, Timothy took notice of a spider as it crawled across the chamber floor, and he was immediately reminded of an evil among them.
"What about Grimshaw?"
"Don't worry about that lunatic," Edgar croaked. "Security made sure he stayed put when the magic blinked out, and last I checked, he was still locked away tight."
"Where, I might add, he belongs," Sheridan said, punctuating his words with a toot of steam.
But Timothy kept his focus on Carlyle, wanting official word.
The serious little man nodded toward Edgar. "Indeed, former constable Grimshaw remains confined to a holding cell, awaiting prosecution for his crimes."
Timothy breathed a sigh of relief, hoping now for a moment of respite to collect his thoughts and mourn the loss of his friend. All too soon he would discover that it was simply the calm before a storm.
Carlyle stopped to compose himself before entering the chamber where Lord Romulus of the Legion Nocturne awaited a word with him.
Conjuring a looking glass, he studied his reflection, dismayed at the circles beneath his eyes and the lack of color on his lips. There could be no rest for the personal assistant to the Grandmaster of the Order of Alhazred. It was his duty to be sure that everything ran smoothly, and to do that meant a certain amount of sacrifice. Sacrifice and discipline, both things he had learned a great deal about as a combat mage, many years ago.
His mind raced with thoughts of all that had happened these past monthsЧsince the arrival of the Cade boy. It was both amazing and terrifying so much could change upon the appearance of one individual. If someone had told him that all of ArcanumЧno, all the worldЧwould be thrown into turmoil with the introduction of a single child, he would have laughed out loud and called them mad.
But it has happened, he mused, staring at his reflection in the shimmering surface. Timothy's return to Terra seemed to have been the catalyst for change, forcing the world around them down a frightening new path to the unknown.
Carlyle had yet to decide if this was a good thing.
He waved his hand in the air, dispersing the magical mirror as if it were made of smoke. Now was not the time for such rumination. Now was the time to do his appointed jobЧto make certain everything functioned as it was supposed to at SkyHaven, or at least to create the appearance of such.
"Lord Romulus," Carlyle said with a bow as the double doors opened into the chamber. "So sorry to keep you waiting, things today have been a tad ... chaotic."
The Grandmaster of the Legion Nocturne had been standing out on the balcony, and now turned at the sound of Carlyle's voice. The armored giant was a fearsome sight.
"What is going on here, sir?" Romulus bellowed, clenching and unclenching his large hands, covered in studded gloves of dark leather. "Who's in charge here? What's become of the boy, and of Maddox? And what of the . . . flickering ... of the matrix?"
The leader of the Legion Nocturne looked down on him, and Carlyle gazed up into the eyes that glowered from inside the darkness of the great horned helmet Romulus wore.
"I felt it, as I am certain we all did," Romulus continued. "My sky carriage began to fall toward the sea, and as it did, I saw SkyHaven dropping...."
Romulus moved even closer and Carlyle could smell the almost animal aroma that exuded from the body of the fearsome man.
"I have felt this . . . loss . . . before, Carlyle. When Timothy Cade touched me. I demand an explanation."
Carlyle felt a claw of dread grip his heart. I touched the magical matrix, the boy had said. Timothy's ... affliction had always made Carlyle apprehensive, but this was something altogether differentЧand profoundly disturbing.
"Ah yes, that," he said, struggling to keep his voice calm. "I believe the Cade boy was responsible, extending his unique talents to prevent Alhazred from enslaving us all."
Romulus reared back as if Carlyle had tried to strike him. "Extended his talents?" he snarled, his voice echoing from within the helmet. "Do you understand what you're saying?"
Carlyle wasn't positive, but he could have sworn he heard a trace of fear in the Nocturne Grandmaster's question.
"Quite," he replied, carefully. "But CassandraЧthat is, Grandmaster Nicodemus, has said that if the boy hadn't done so, Alhazred would haveЧ"
"He touched the matrix," Romulus interrupted, grabbing hold of Carlyle's robes and drawing him closer. "The Cade boy's insidious powers traveled beyond the walls of SkyHavenЧwho knows how far?"
Carlyle caused a charge of magical energy to course through his body and Romulus grunted as a blue spark of energy forced him to remove his hands from the assistant's clothing.
"I understand your concern, Grandmaster Romulus," Carlyle stated, brushing the wrinkles from his front. "But Timothy Cade acted in defense of us all, and so far there have been no reports of any serious repercussions."