"Jack Vance - The Sorcerer Pharesm" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vance Jack)

and meditative somnolence. Your compound and the adjacent nympharium appear to afford the
conditions requisite to such a state; henceтАФ"
Pharesm indulgently shook his head. "Caution, like any other virtue, can be carried to an extreme.
The divination must proceed at once."
Cugel attempted to argue further but Pharesm was adamant, and presently glided off down the trail.
Cugel disconsolately went to the side, considering first this stratagem, then that. The sun neared the
zenith, and the workmen began to speculate as to the nature of the viands to be served for their midday
meal. At last the Chief Chade signalled; all put down their tools and gathered about the cart which
contained the repast.
Cugel jocularly called out that he might be persuaded to share the meal, but the Chief Chade would
not hear of it. "As in all of Pharesm's activities, an exactitude of consequence must prevail. It is an
unthinkable discrepancy that fifty-four men should consume the food intended for fifty-three."
Cugel could contrive no apposite reply, and sat in silence while the rock-hewers munched at meat
pies, cheeses and salt fish. All ignored him save for one, a quarter-ell man whose generosity far exceeded
his stature, and who undertook to reserve for Cugel a certain portion of his food. Cugel replied that he
was not at all hungry, and rising to his feet wandered off through the project, hoping to discover some
forgotten cache of food. He prowled here and there, but the rubble-gatherers had removed every trace
of substance extraneous to the pattern. With appetite unassuaged Cugel arrived at the centre of the work,
where sprawled on a carved disc he spied a most peculiar creature: essentially a gelatinous globe
swimming with luminous particles from which a number of transparent tubes or tentacles dwindled away
to nothing. Cugel bent to examine the creature, which pulsed with a slow internal rhythm. He prodded it
with his finger, and bright little flickers rippled away from the point of contact. Interesting: a creature of
unique capabilities! Removing a pin from his garments he prodded a tentacle, which emitted a peevish
pulse of light, while the golden flecks in its substance surged back and forth. More intrigued than ever,
Cugel hitched himself close, and gave himself to experimentation, probing here and there, watching the
angry flickers and sparkles with great amusement.
A new thought occurred to Cugel. The creature displayed qualities reminiscent of both coelenterate
and echinoderm. A terrene nudibranch? A mollusc deprived of its shell? More importantly, was the
creature edible?
Cugel brought forth his amulet, applied it to the central globe and to each of the tentacles. He heard
neither chime nor buzz: the creature was non-poisonous. He unsheathed his knife, sought to excise one of
the tentacles, but found the substance too resilient and tough to be cut. There was a brazier nearby, kept
aglow for forging and sharpening the workers' tools. He lifted the creature by two of its tentacles, carried
it to the brazier and arranged it over the fire. He toasted it carefully and when he deemed it sufficiently
cooked, sought to eat it. Finally, after various undignified efforts, he crammed the creature down his
throat, finding it without taste or sensible nutritive volume.
The stone-carvers were returning to their work. With a significant glance for the foreman Cugel set
off down the trail.
Not far distant was the dwelling of Pharesm the Sorcerer: a long low building of melted rock
surmounted by eight oddly shaped domes of copper, mica and bright blue glass. Pharesm himself sat at
leisure before the dwelling, surveying the valley with a serene and all-inclusive magnanimity. He held up a
hand in calm salute. "I wish you pleasant travels and success in all future endeavours."
"The sentiment is naturally valued," said Cugel with some bitterness. "You might however have
rendered a more meaningful service by extending a share of your noon meal."
 Pharesm's placid benevolence was as before. "This would have been an act of mistaken altruism.
Too fulsome a generosity corrupts the recipient and stultifies his resource."
Cugel gave a bitter laugh. "I am a man of iron principle, and I will not complain, even though,
lacking any better fare, I was forced to devour a great transparent insect which I found at the heart of
your rock-carving."
Pharesm swung about with a suddenly intent expression. "A great transparent insect, you say?"