"Kim Wilkins - The Autumn Castle" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wilkins Kim)

In front of her, a round dais rose from five stairs, and in the middle, sitting on an elaborate golden chair
under a hanging wooden wheel of candles, was the most beautiful woman Christine had ever seen. The
woman was addressing her in an angry voice.

Christine still couldn't make out the language, but some of it sounded German, so she said, "Ich verstehe
nicht"тАФI don't understandтАФall the time gazing at the woman. She wore a soft brown dress, gathered
by tight ribbons crisscrossed around the waist, and long trailing sleeves embroidered in gold. A golden
belt with seven keys on it hung low on her hips. Her hair was a rich coppery red, and hung in a thick,
waist-length plait over her shoulder. Her face was as pale and soft as a small child's, her mouth a plump
rosebud, her cheeks flushed red, and her dark blue eyes fixed on Christine with an expression mixed of
anger and curiosity. The wolf sat faithfully at the beautiful woman's feet.

Christine realized she was surrounded by the two men from the cart, three other men, and a woman, all
of whom eyed her apprehensively.

"Ich verstehe nicht," Christine said again, slowly in case her pronunciation was bad.

"Aha," the woman said, nodding to indicate that Christine's point was understood. Then the woman rose
from her throneтАФa throne, that must make her the queenтАФbarked orders at the assembly, and
descended the stairs to take Christine's hand.

"Kom." It was close enough to "come" in any language she knew, so Christine allowed herself to be led,
several people and the wolf following her, around the back of the dais to a wooden doorway. The queen
stepped forward and threw the doors open, admitting a shaft of golden light into the cavernous room.
She led them into an overgrown garden of trailing vines and wild hedges, all spattered with the first yellow
streaks of autumn. Beyond the garden they reached a slope that led to a crumbling stone wall and an iron
gate. The queen ushered Christine ahead of her into dense trees.

Christine hesitated. Was she going to be taken back to the place where she had first arrived? Was she
being sent back to her own world, where a week of painkiller-induced half-existence was waiting for
her? For a moment she couldn't decide which was worseтАФdreams or realityтАФbut it appeared the choice
was out of her hands anyway.

"Kom," the queen said again, pulling Christine's hand gently.

"Okay, okay," she muttered, and the queen looked at her sharply, but didn't pause, leading her deeper
into the forest. The sun had now almost disappeared over the horizon, but its flaming golden fingers
bathed the scene. Christine could hear the noises of little animals at work in the forest, and the skitter of
lonely leaves dropping to the ground, early casualties of the season. Finally, they came to a clearing
surrounding a crooked stone well. The woman released Christine's hand and leaned over the well.

"Hechse!" she called. "Hechse!"

It sounded like the German word for "witch," and Christine steeled herself for what ghastly thing might
emerge from the well.

A stream of words Christine didn't understand was directed down into the dark. Then slowly, as if by
magic, the reel began to creak and roll upward. Christine watched as, squeak-clunk-squeak-clunk,
something heaved itself out of the well. A black shape appeared, an ancient rusty cage. It drew slowly