"Joan D. Vinge - The Storm King" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vinge Joan D)

they pushed on, Lassan-din leading now, following the riverтАЩs rushing torrent
upward into the past.
 They came to the dragonтАЩs cave at last, gazed on it for a long while in silence,
having no strength left for speech.

тАЬStorm King!тАЭ Lassan-din gathered the rags of his voice and his concentration
for a shout. тАЬHear me! I have come for my last request!тАЭ

There was an alien stirring inside his mind; the charge in the air and the dim,
flickering light deep within the cave seemed to intensify.

(So you have returned to plague me.) The voice inside his head cursed him,
with the weariness of the ages. He felt the stretch and play of storm-sinews rousing;
remembered sud-denly, dizzily, the feel of his ride on the whirlwind.

(Show yourself to me.)

They followed the winding tunnel as he had done before to an audience in the
black hall radiant with the dust of rain-bows. The dragon crouched on its scaly bed,
its glowering ruby eye fixed on them. Lassan-din stopped, trying to keep a
semblance of self-possession. Fallatha drew her robes close together at her throat
and murmured something unintelligible.

(I see that this time you have the wisdom to bring your true source of power
with you . . . though she has no power in her now. Why have you come to me again?
HavenтАЩt I given you all that you asked for?)

тАЬAll that and more,тАЭ he said heavily. тАЬYouтАЩve doubled the weight of the griefs
I brought with me before.тАЭ

(I?) The dragon bent its head; its horn raked them with claw-fingered shadows
in the sudden, swelling brightness. (I did nothing to you. Whatever consequences
youтАЩve suffered are no concern of mine.)

Lassan-din bit back a stinging retort; said, calmly, тАЬBut you remember that
you owe me one final boon. You know that IтАЩve come to collect it.тАЭ

(Anything within my power.) The huge cat-face bowed ill-humoredly;
Lassan-din felt his skin prickle with the static energy of the moment.

тАЬThen take away these scales you fixed on me, that make me invulnerable to
everything human!тАЭ He pulled off his drab, dark cloak and the rich, royal clothing of
red and blue beneath it, so that his body shone like an echo of the dragonтАЩs own.

The dragonтАЩs faceted eyes regarded him without feeling. (I cannot.)

Lassan-din froze as the words out of his blackest night-mares turned him to
stone. тАЬWhatтАФwhat do you mean, you cannot? You did this to meтАФyou can undo
it!тАЭ