"Lawrence Watt-Evans - Dragon Weather" - читать интересную книгу автора (Watt-Evans Lawrence)

be surprised if it erupts soon.тАЭ
Arlian said nothing, but his eyes widened at the
notion. The crater that loomed over the village had
smoked all ArlianтАЩs life, but there had been no
actual eruption for almost fifty years.
The natural path for any lava or ash was down
the far slope, well away from the village, but still, an
eruption was an exciting, frightening thought.
тАЬCome on,тАЭ Grandsir said, leading the way down
one of the passageways, between dusty shelves lined
with earthenware crocks and black glass jars.
Arlian followed, brushing aside cobwebs and
soaking in the dimness and the rich musty smells.
Somewhere behind him, from the sunlit world
above, he heard a distant shriekтАФprobably Kashkar
the StonecarverтАЩs three girls playing some silly
game, Arlian thought.
A manтАЩs voice shouted, but Arlian could not make
out any wordsтАФprobably Kashkar, telling his
daughters to go elsewhere with their racket. Arlian
paid no attention to the noise, but watched as
Grandsir ran a careful finger along a shelf, counting
crocks.
тАЬEighteen pots of the soft cheese,тАЭ the old man
said. тАЬCount the wheels of hard cheese on the
bottom shelf, boy, the ones in black waxтАФmy old
knees donтАЩt want me to stoop that much anymore,
and my eyesтАжтАЭ
Arlian squatted and began counting the big
drums of cheeseтАФthe black wax did tend to fade
into the dark background, and he could see how
Grandsir might have trouble.
More voices were shouting somewhere in the
distance, Arlian realized as he countedтАФhad those
girls started the adults arguing?
Then he heard another sound, a hollow metallic
booming, and started up so suddenly he almost
knocked the candle from GrandsirтАЩs hand.
The old man hardly noticed; he had heard the
same sound, and was staring at the open door at
the top of the ladder-well. From where they stood
only a corner of the opening was visible, a triangle
of dull gray light in the brown darkness.
They both knew that sound. Everyone in the
village knew it. Once a year everyone gathered
around and solemnly listened to it, simply so they
would know it when they heard it. It was the
ringing of the great brass warning bell that hung in
the otherwise abandoned village shrine.
тАЬDo you think the mountainтАЩs erupting,