"Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman - Legends 03 - Test Of The Twins" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weis Margaret)

"I'm certain Par-Salian is-uh-is ... busy. Busy! That's it!" He gave a ghastly grin. "Much too busy to
see us now. Probably lots of things to do, what with all this chaos going on around him. So let's just
forget this and go back to someplace in time where we had fun. How about when Raistlin put the
charm spell on Bupu and she fell in love with him? That was really funny! That disgusting gully
dwarf following him around.....
Caramon didn't reply. Tas twisted the end of his topknot around his finger.
"Dead," he said suddenly, heaving a mournful sigh. "Poor Par-Salian. Probably dead as a doorknob.
After all," the kender pointed out cheerfully, "he was old when we saw him back in 356. He didn't
look at all well then, either. This must have been a real shock to him-Raistlin becoming a god and
all. Probably too much for his heart. Bam-he probably just keeled right over."
Tas peeped up at Caramon. There was a slight smile on the big man's lips, but he said nothing, just
kept turning and twisting the pieces of the pendant. A bright flash of lightning made him start. He
glanced at the storm, his smile vanishing. "I'll bet the Tower of High Sorcery's not even there any
more!" Tas cried in desperation. "If what you say is right and the whole world is ... is like this"-he
waved his small hand as the foul-smelling rain began to fall-"then the Tower must have been one of
the first places to go! Struck by lightning! Blooey! After all, the Tower's much taller than most
trees I've seen-"
"The Tower'll be there," Caramon said grimly, making the final adjustment to the magical device.
He held it up. Its jewels caught the rays of Solinari and, for an instant, gleamed with radiance. Then
the storm clouds swept over the moon, devouring it. The darkness was now intense, split only by
the brilliant, beautiful, deadly lightning.
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Caramon grabbed his crutch and struggled to his feet. Tas
followed more slowly, gazing at Caramon miserably.
"You see, Tas, I've come to know Raistlin," Caramon continued, ignoring the kender's woebegone
expression. "Too late, maybe, but I know him now. He hated that Tower, just as he hated those
mages for what they did to him there. But even as he hates it, he loves it all the same-because it is
part of his Art, Tas. And his Art, his magic, means more to him than life itself. No, the Tower will
be there."
Lifting the device in his hands, Caramon began the chant, "'Thy time is thine own. Though across it
you travel-"' But he was interrupted.
"Oh, Caramon!" Tas wailed, clutching at him. "Don't take me back to Par-Salian! He'll do
something awful to me! I know it! He might turn me into a-a bat!" Tas paused. "And, while I
suppose it might be interesting being a bat, I'm not certain I could get used to sleeping upside down,
hanging by my feet. And I am rather fond of being a kender, now that I think of it, and-"
"What are you talking about?" Caramon glared at him, then glanced up at the storm clouds. The
rain was increasing in fury, the lightning striking nearer.
"Par-Salian!" cried Tas frantically. "I-I messed up his magical time-traveling spell! I went when I
wasn't supposed to! And then I stol-er-found a magical ring that someone had left lying about and it
turned me into a mouse! I'm certain he must be rather peeved over that! And then I-I broke the
magical device, Caramon. Remember? Well, it wasn't exactly my fault, Raistlin made me break it!
But a really strict person might take the unfortunate attitude that if I had left it alone in the first
place-like I knew I was supposed to-then that wouldn't have happened. And Par-Salian seems an
awfully strict sort of person, don't you think? And while I did have Gnimsh fix it, he didn't fix it
quite right, you know-"
"Tasslehoff," said Caramon tiredly, "shut up."
"Yes, Caramon," Tas said meekly, with a snuffle. Caramon looked at the small dejected figure
reflected in the bright lightning and sighed. "Look, Tas, I won't let Par-Salian do anything to you. I
promise. He'll have to turn me into a bat first."
"Truly?" asked Tas anxiously.
"My word," said Caramon, his eyes on the storm. "Now, give me your hand and let's get out of