"Alexander Kazantsev. The Destruction of Faena (ГИБЕЛЬ ФАЭНЫ, англ.)" - читать интересную книгу автора

"Still, it's better than in the rain," responded Kutsi.
Ave could smell the damp. When he touched the wall, it was wet and
sticky. With the other hand he tightly squeezed Mada's fingers.
"Wait," came Lua's voice from in front. "I must make an effort."
"Does the good lady need a hand in lifting something?"
"I must concentrate."
It turned out that Mother Lua had to use will-power to open a certain
door that would obey her brain biocurrents.
The young Faetians saw a bright rectangle in front of them, with Lua
and Kutsi sharply silhouetted against it.
Mada and Ave went into a spacious underground, plastic-lined corridor.
"Aha!" said Kutsi Merc. "The ancient priests knew their materials."
"We turn left for the Temple of Eternity."
Kutsi Merc stopped and felt a thick cable in red braiding.
Mada firmly squeezed Ave's fingers in her little hand.
The footsteps of the Faetians rang under the low ceiling.
Ave looked back suspiciously to where the corridor made a turn. The
light that had automatically come on when they appeared had already gone
out.
Twice the Faetians were confronted by a blank wall, and each time, in
response to Mother Lua's mental command, the barrier disappeared to let them
pass through.
"I wouldn't like to be left here without our companion," commented
Kutsi Merc.
"Has the visitor from Danjab no more to say than that?" said Lua
reproachfully.
The secret passage had branches, but Lua confidently walked past them,
leading the others along a route with which she was thoroughly familiar.
Finally, she stopped again before a blank wall and looked intently into
the centre of a spiral ornament. This was enough for the wall to divide, and
Lua let the young Faetians go first with Kutsi Merc, then went into the
familiar shrine herself.
Mada huddled closer to Ave. She had not been scared of going along the
underground passage, but the ancient temple with its shrine and a roof that
disappeared into unseen heights had a disturbing effect on her imagination.
Something stirred in the semidarkness and a voice rang out:
"I welcome the happy ones! I guessed that because of the bad weather
you would use the tunnel by which the Dictator of Power-mania came to the
session."
Mada Jupi looked in agitation at the tall figure of the great Elder of
learning, who was standing on a dais. She thought of the High Priest of the
temple who used to deliver his invocations from that spot. And his voice had
echoed under the dark vaults then as now, when Um Sat began addressing the
young Faetians.
The Elder of learning tactfully performed a rudimentary wedding
ceremony, ending it with the words:
"So be it!"
His voice echoed and re-echoed in the depths of the shrine, as if the
ancient priests were chanting the responses.
Then Um Sat embraced each of the young Faetians and wished them