"Hall Of Mirrors" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zelazny Roger)

quarters. Luke halted before one room and reached into his pocket,
presumably after the key. Then he halted.
"Uh, Corwin?" he said.
"What?" I responded.
"Those two big cobrashaped candle holders," he said, gesturing up the
hall. "Bronze, I believe."
"Most likely. What of them?"
"I thought they were just hall decorations."
"That's what they are."
"The last time I looked at them, they kind of bracketed a small
painting or tapestry," he said.
"My recollection, too," I said.
"Well, there seems to be a corridor between them now."
"No, that can't be. There's a proper hallway just a little beyond--" I
began.
Then I shut up because I knew. I began walking toward it.
"What's going on?" Luke asked.
"It's calling me," I said. "I've got to go and see what it wants."
"What is it?"
"The Hall of Mirrors. It comes and goes. It brings sometimes useful,
sometimes ambiguous messages to the one it calls."
"Is it calling us both, or just you?" Luke said.
"Dunno," I replied. "I feel it calling me, as it has in the past.
You're welcome to come with me. Maybe it has some goodies for you, too."
"You ever hear of two people taking it at once?"
"No, but there's a first time for everything," I said.
Luke nodded slowly.
"What the hell," he said, "I'm game."
He followed me to the place of the snakes, and we peered up it. Candles
flared along its walls, at either hand. And the walls glittered from the
countless mirrors which hung upon them. I stepped forward. Luke followed, at
my left.
The mirror frames were of every shape imaginable. I walked very slowly,
observing the contents of each one. I told Luke to do the same. For several
paces, the mirrors seemed simply to be giving back what was before them.
Then Luke stiffened and halted, head turning to the left.
"Mom!" he said explosively.
The reflection of an attractive red-haired woman occupied a mirror
framed in green-tinged copper in the shape of an Ouroboros serpent.
She smiled.
"So glad you did the right thing, taking the throne," she said.
"You really mean that?" he asked.
"Of course," she replied.
"Thought you might be mad. Thought you wanted it," he said.
"I did once, but those damned Kashfans never appreciated me. I've got
the Keep now, though, and I feel like doing a few years' research here--and
it's full of sentimental values as well. So as long as Kashfa stays in the
family, I wanted you to know I was pleased."
"Why--uh--glad to hear that, Mom. Very glad. I'll hang onto it."
"Do," she said, and vanished.