"Vance, Jack - Gaean Reach - Demon Princes 03 - The Palace of Love" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vance Jack)

The Palace Of Love
By Jack Vance
Book 3 in the "Demon Prince" Series

From Popular Handbook to the Planets, 348th edition. 1525:

SARKOVY: Single planet of Phi Ophiuchi. Planetary
constants: diameter-9,600 miles; sidereal day-37.2
hours; mass-1.40; G-.98 . . .

Sarkovy is moist and cloudy; with an axis normal to
the orbital plane it knows no seasons.

The surface lacks physiographical contrast. The
characteristic features of the landscape are the steppes:

Hopman Steppe, Gorobundur Steppe, the Great Black
Steppe, and others... . From the abundant flora the no-
torious Sarkoy venefices leach and distill the poisons for
which they are famous.

The population is largely nomadic, though certain
tribes, generically known as Night Hobs, live among
the forests. (For detailed information regarding the
rather appalling customs of the Sarkoy, consult the En-
cyclopedia of Sociology and The Sexual Habits of the Sarkoy,
by BA. Edgar.)

The Sarkoy pantheon is ruled by Godogma, who
carries a flower and a flail and walks on wheels. Every-
where along the Sarkoy steppes may be found tall poles
with wheels on high, in praise of Godogma, the strid-
ing, wheeling God of Fate.

THF DEMON PRINCPS

News feature in Rigelhan Journal, Avente, Alphanor

Paing, Godoland, Sarkovy July 12

As if Claris Adam were to he destroyed for beguil-
ing William Wales

As if the Abbatram of Pamfile were to be liquefied
for smelling too strongly

As if Deacon Fitzbah of Shaker City were to be
immolated for an excess of zeal

Today from Sarkovy comes news that Master Ve-