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

they donтАЩt believe in power and they are powerless, charlatans. You know it or you
wouldnтАЩt be here!тАЭ She settled back, wheezing. тАЬYes, I could tell you what you
want; but suppose you tell me.тАЭ

тАЬI want whatтАЩs mine! I want my kingdom.тАЭ He paced restlessly, two steps and
then back. тАЬI know of elementals, all the old legends. My people say that dragons
are storm-bringers, born from a joining of Fire and Water and Air, three of the four
Primes of Existence. Nothing but the Earth can defy their fury. And I know that if I
can hold a dragon in its lair with the right spells, it must give me what I want, like the
heroes of the Golden Time. I want to use its power to take back my lands.тАЭ

тАЬYou donтАЩt want much, do you?тАЭ The old woman rose from her seat and
turned her back on him, throwing a surrep-titious handful of something into the fire,
making it flare up balefully. She stirred the pot that hung from a hook above it,
spitting five times into the noxious brew as she stirred. Lassan-din felt his empty
stomach turn over. тАЬIf you want to chal-lenge the Storm King, you should be out
there climbing, not here holding your hand out to me.тАЭ

тАЬDamn you!тАЭ His exasperation broke loose, and his hand wrenched her
around to face him. тАЬI need some spell, some magic, some way to pen a dragon up.
I canтАЩt do it with my bare hands!тАЭ

She shook her head, unintimidated, and leered toothlessly at him. тАЬMy power
comes to me through my body, up from the Earth Our Mother. She wonтАЩt listen to a
manтАФespecially one who would destroy Her worship. Ask your priests who
worship the air to teach you their empty prayers.тАЭ

He saw the hatred rising in her, and felt it answered: The dagger was out of its
hidden sheath and in his hand before he knew it, pressing the soft folds of her neck.
тАЬI donтАЩt believe you, witch. See this daggerтАФтАЭ quietly, deadly. тАЬIf you give me what
I want, youтАЩll have the jewels in its hilt. If you donтАЩt, youтАЩll feel its blade cut your
throat.тАЭ

тАЬAll right, all right!тАЭ She strained back as the bladeтАЩs tip began to bite. He let
her go. She felt her neck; the girl sat perfectly still at their feet, watching. тАЬI can give
you somethingтАФa spell. I canтАЩt guarantee SheтАЩll listen. But you have enough hatred
in you for ten menтАФand maybe that will make your manтАЩs voice loud enough to
penetrate Her skin. This mountain is sacred to Her. She still listens through its ears,
even if She no longer breathes here.тАЭ

тАЬNever mind the superstitious drivel. Just tell me how I can keep the dragon in
without it striking me dead with its lightning. How I can fight fire with fireтАФтАЭ

тАЬYou donтАЩt fight fire with fire. You fight fire with water.тАЭ

He stared at her; at the obviousness of it, and the absurdityтАФтАЬThe dragon is
the creator of storm. How can mere waterтАФ?тАЭ

тАЬA dragon is anathema. Remember that, prince who would be king. It is
chaos, power uncontrolled; and power always has a price. ThatтАЩs the key to