"Tad Williams - MST4 - To Green Angel Tower Part 2 v0.5" - читать интересную книгу автора (Williams Tad)

times, disturbed by the emptiness of these queer northern
surroundings, he would walk down to the river that ran

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Tad Williams

through the middle of the camp to sit and listen to the
calming, familiar sounds of the water-world.

He had been doing just that, dangling his brown feet in
the Stefflod despite the chill of water and wind, and was
returning to camp a little heartened, when a shape flashed
past him. It was someone running, pale hair streaming,
but whoever it was seemed to move as swiftly as a drag-
onfly, far faster than anyone human should travel. Tiamak
had only a moment to stare after the fleeing form before
another dark shape swept past. It was a bird, a large one,
flying low to the ground as though the first figure was its
prey.

As both shapes vanished up the slope toward the heart
of the prince's encampment, Tiamak stood in stunned
amazement. It took some moments for him to realize who
the first shape had been.

The Sitha-woman! he thought. Chased by a hawk or an
owl?

It made no sense, but then she-Aditu was her name-
made little sense to Tiamak either. She was like nothing
he had ever seen and, in fact, frightened him a little- But
what could be chasing her? From the look on her face she
had been running from something dreadful.

Or to something dreadful, he realized, and felt his
stomach clench. She had been heading toward the camp'.

He Who Always Steps on Sand, Tiamak prayed as he
set out, protect me-protect us all from evil. His heart was
beating swiftly now, faster than the pace of his running
feet. This is an ill-omened year!

For a moment, as he reached the nearest edge of the
vast field of tents, he was reassured. It was quiet, and few
campfires burned. But there was too much quiet, he de-
cided a moment later. It was not early, but still well be-
fore midnight. People should be about, or at least there
should be some noise from those not yet asleep. What
could be wrong?