"E. C. Tubb - Dumarest 12 - Eloise" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tubb E. C)

water so that, for a long time, he had leaned against the wall
lacking the strength even to stand. An odd thing to have
happened. All the years he had lived, it had never happened
before. But then he had never drawn so low a number before;
had never appreciated the full significance of what he had seen.

"Adara!" The musical voice was urgent. "Turn, look at me!
Adara!"

As he obeyed the great bell began to toll.

***

It was a sound which filled the city, dominating, Imperious, a
deep, solemn throbbing which came from the very walls, the air
itself; causing little harmonics to quiver the panes of the
window, to set the goblets trembling so that they touched and
filled the air with singing chimes.

At the third knell he began to tremble; a hateful reaction
which constricted his stomach and caused tiny muscles to jerk
along the line of his jaw, the apparatus of his hands. Desperately
be hid the discomfiture, keeping his face a blank mask; aware of
the woman, her eyes, his own growing terror. The tolling
continued, each knell a claw raking at his naked brain.

"тАж sixтАж sevenтАж eightтАж"

Eloise had regained her chair and sat, watching him with a
peculiar intensity. Almost, he thought wildly, as if she were
studying a specimen to determine how efficient its training had
been. Relentlessly her voice kept time to the bell, counting the
strokes; merging with the sonorous throbbing, the thin chiming
of the goblets which now sang with a rising note as if the
inanimate material could sense and respond to his mounting
distress.

"тАж elevenтАж twelve .. thirteenтАж"

He felt perspiration dew his forehead, the body beneath his
clothing; the trembling now increased so that he had to lock his
fingers to disguise their rebellion. To remain detached. To
remain calm. To accept what had to come. The teachings of a
lifetimeтАФ why had they failed him now?

". . fifteenтАж sixteen .. sev -"

"Eloise?"

"Sixteen, Adara! Sixteen!"