"Jack Vance - Elder Isles 02 - The Green Pearl" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vance Jack)

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The Green Pearl

by Jack Vance




Chapter 1



VISBHUME,apprentice to the recently dead Hippolito, applied to the sorcerer Tamurello for a similar
post, but was denied. Visbhume then offered for sale a box containing articles which he had carried away
from Hippolito's house. Tamurello, glancing into the box, saw enough to warrant his interest and paid
over Visbhume's price.



Among the objects in the box were fragments of an old manuscript. When news of the transaction came
by chance to the ears of the witch Desmei, she wondered if the fragments might not fill out the gaps in a
manuscript which she had long been trying to restore. Without delay she took herself to Tamurello's
manse Paroli in the Forest of Tantrevalles, and there applied for permission to inspect the fragments.



With all courtesy Tamurello displayed the fragments. "Are these the missing pieces?"



Desmei looked through the fragments. "They are indeed!"



"In that case they are now yours," said Tamurello. "Accept them with my compliments."



"I will do so most gratefully!" said Desmei. As she packed the fragments into a portfolio, she studied
Tamurello from the comer of her eye. She said: "It is somewhat odd that we have not met before."



Tamurello smilingly agreed. "The world is long and wide. New experiences await us always, for the most
part to our pleasure." He inclined his head with unmistakable gallantry toward his guest.