"Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman - Rose of the Prophet 02 - The Paladin of the Night" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weis Margaret)

heavens for her and now you quibble about going into the sea!"
"I am of the desert," Sond protested sullenly. "I don't like water. It's cold
and wet and slimy."
"You can't really feel anything, you know! We are immor-bl." Asrial glanced at
Pukah coolly from the corner of her blue eyes. "We are above such things as
love and physical sensations and other human frailties!"
"Above love?" cried Pukah jealously. "Where did the
tears I saw you shedding over your mad master come from, if
^Vou have no eyes? If you have no hand, why do you caress his
.cJbrehead and, for all I know, other parts of his body as well!"
"As for my tears," retorted Asrial angrily, "all know the , The drops of rain
are the tears the Gods shed over the lies of man-тАФ"
6 WEIS AND HICKMAN
"Hazrat Akhran goes about with dry eyes, then," Pukah interrupted, laughing.
Asrial pointedly ignored him. "And as for your insinuation that I have had
carnal knowledge of my 'prot6g6'тАФMathew is not my master and he's not madтАФyour
statement is absurd and what I would expect of one who has been living around
humans so long he has tricked himself into believing he can feel what they
feelтАФ"
"Hush!" said Sond suddenly, cocking his turbaned head to one side.
"Whatr
"Shhht" the djinn hissed urgently. He stared far off into nothing, his gaze
abstracted. "My master," he murmured. "He's calling for me."
"Is that all?" Pukah raised his eyes to heaven. "He's called for you before.
Let Majiid tie his headcloth himself this morning."
"No, it is more urgent than that! I think I should attend him!"
"Come now, Sond. Majiid gave you permission to leave. I know you don't want to
go swimming, but this is ridiculousтАФ"
"It isn't that! Something's wrong! Something's been wrong ever since we left."
"Bah! If something was wrong, Khardan would be calling for me. He can't get
along without me for even the smallest thing, you know." The young djinn
heaved the sigh of the vastly overworked. "I rarely have a moment's peace. He
begged me to stay, in fact, but I told him that die wishes of Hazrat Akhran
held preference over those of a human, even my masterтАФ"
"And is your master calling for you?" Sond interrupted impatiently.
"No! So you seeтАФ"
"I see nothing except a braggart and a buffoonтАФ" Sond fell silent. "That's
odd," be said after a moment's pause. "Majiid's calls just ceased."
"There, what did I tell you. The old man pulled his trousers on all by
himselfтАФ"
"I don't like this," muttered Sond, putting his hand over his breast. "I feel
strangeтАФempty and hollow."
"What does he mean?" Asrial drew near Pukah. Slipping her hand into the hand
of the djinn, she held onto him tightly. "He looks terrible, Pukah!"
THE PALADIN OF THE NIGHT 7
1 know, my dear. I never could understand what women see in him!" said Pukah.
Looking down at the small white hand he was holding, die djinn squeezed it
teasingly. "A pity yon can't feel thisтАФ"
Angrily, Asrial snatched her hand away. Spreading her white wings, she
smoothed her robes about her and waded Btto the water of the cobalt blue sea.