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

everything. I can teach you the spell for controlling the waters of the Earth; but
youтАЩre the one who must use it.тАЭ

****

He stayed with the women through the day, and learned as the hours passed to
believe in the mysteries of the Earth. The crone spoke words that brought water
fountaining up from the well outside her door while he looked on in amazement, his
weariness and pain forgotten. As he watched she made a brook flow upstream;
made the crystal droplets beading the forest pines join in a diadem to crown his
head, and then with a word released them to run cold and helpless as tears into the
collar of his ragged tunic.

She seized the fury that rose up in him at her insolence, and challenged him to
do the same. He repeated the ungainly, ancient spellwords defiantly, arrogantly, and
nothing hap-pened. She scoffed, his anger grew; she jeered and it grew stronger. He
repeated the spell again, and again, and againтАжuntil at last he felt the terrifying
presence of an alien power rise in his body, answering the call of his blood. The
droplets on the trees began to shiver and commingle; he watched an eddy form in
the swift clear water of the streamтАФ The Earth had answered him.

His anger failed him at the unbelievable sight of his successтАжand the power
failed him too. Dazed and strengthless, at last he knew his anger for the only emotion
with the depth or urgency to move the body of the Earth, or even his own. But he
had done the impossibleтАФmade the Earth move to a manтАЩs bidding. He had proved
his right to be a king, proved that he could force the dragon to serve him as well. He
laughed out loud. The old woman moaned and spat, twisting her hands that were like
gnarled roots, mumbling curses. She shuffled away toward the woods as though she
were in a trance; turned back abruptly as she reached the trees, pointed past him at
the girl standing like a ghost in the hutтАЩs doorway. тАЬYou think youтАЩve known the
Earth; that you own Her, now. You think you can take anything and make it yours.
But youтАЩre as empty as that one, and as powerless!тАЭ And she was gone.

Night had fallen through the dreary wood without his real-izing it. The girl
Nothing led him back into the hut, shared a bowl of thick, strangely herbed soup and
a piece of stale bread with him. He ate gratefully but numbly, the first warm meal he
had eaten in weeks; his mind drifted into waking dreams of banqueting until dawn in
royal halls.

When he had eaten his share, wiping the bowl shamelessly with a crust, he
stood and walked the few paces to the hutтАЩs furthest corner. He lay down on the
hard stone by the cave mouth, wrapping his cloak around him, and closed his eyes.
SleepтАЩs darker cloak settled over him.

And then, dimly, he became aware that the girl had fol-lowed him, stood
above him looking down. He opened his eyes unwillingly, to see her unbelt her tunic
and pull it off, kneel down naked at his side. A piece of rock crystal, per-fectly
transparent, perfectly formed, hung glittering coldly against her chest. He kept his
eyes open, saying nothing.