"Zelazny, Roger - Amber 08 - Sign Of Chaos" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zelazny Roger)

do little to inform me as to the nature of my predicament. This, because my
faculties would also be caught up in the manifestation and subject to its
forces, if the thing were at all self consistent. It struck me as something
similar to color blindness. I could think of no way of telling for certain what
was going on, without outside help.
As I mused over these matters, the King's horses and men arrived beyond the
swinging doors at the front of the place. The men entered and fastened lines
upon the carcass of the Bandersnatch. The horses dragged the thing off. Humpty
had climbed down to visit the rest room while this was going on. Upon his return
he discovered that he was unable to achieve his former position atop the
barstool. He shouted to the King's men to give him a hand, but they were busy
guiding the defunct Bandersnatch among tables and they ignored him.
Luke strolled up, smiling.
"So that was a Bandersnatch," he observed. "I'd always wondered what they
were like. Now, if we could just get a Jabberwock to stop by--"
"Sh!" cautioned the Cat. "It must be off in the mural somewhere, and likely
it's been listening. Don't stir it up! It may come whiffling through the tulgey
wood after your ass. Remember the jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Don't go
looking for troub--"
The Cat cast a quick glance toward the wall and phased into and out of
existence several times in quick succession. Ignoring this, Luke remarked, "I
was just thinking of the Tenniel illustration."
The Cat materialized at the far end of the bar, downed the Hatter's drink,
and said, "I hear the burbling, and eyes of flame are drifting to the left."
I glanced at the mural, and I, too, saw the fiery eyes and heard a peculiar
sound.
"It could be any of a number of things," Luke remarked.
The Cat moved to a rack behind the bar and reached high up on the wall to
where a strange weapon hung, shimmering and shifting in shadow. He lowered the
thing and slid it along the bar; it came to rest before Luke.
"Better have the Vorpal Sword in hand, that's all I can say."
Luke laughed, but I stared fascinated at the device which looked as if it
were made of moth wings and folded moonlight.
Then I heard the burbling again.
"Don't just stand there in uffish thought!" said the Cat, draining Humpty's
glass and vanishing again.
Still chuckling, Luke held out his tankard for a refill. I stood there in
uffish thought: The spell I had used to destroy the Bandersnatch had altered my
thinking in a peculiar fashion. It seemed for a small moment in its aftermath
that things were beginning to come clear in my head. I attributed this to the
image of the Logrus which I had regarded briefly. And so I summoned it again.
The Sign rose before me, hovered. I held it there. I looked upon it. It
seemed as if a cold wind began to blow through my mind. Drifting bits of memory
were drawn together, assembled themselves into an entire fabric, were informed
with understanding. Of course....
The burbling grew louder and I saw the shadow of the Jabberwock gliding
among distant trees, eyes like landing lights, lots of sharp edges for biting
and catching....
And it didn't matter a bit. For I realized now what was going on, who was
responsible, how and why.