Книга только для ознакомления
. Five pits belched columns of
hissing flame into the air. The central flame was highest and
flared as a bright red. Fires of blue and green surged to its
left; a small fire of purest white flickered to the right.
The fifth flame I did not see immediately, and then I
noticed it only as a shifting shade before the backdrop of
several red pools of lava. Upon closer inspection, I saw that
this was a fire of black! It absorbed the light around it,
rather than casting illumination of its own, and thus was
visible only by the outline of its greater darkness. Five fires,
of black, white, red, green, and blue - the holy altar of this
deity worshiped by Erasmoth Luker.
"Witness the power of my god," announced Erasmoth.
The arrogance of his tone was now palpable. Clearly, he
regarded me as little more than a tablet for the purpose of
recording his mighty deeds.
Excellency, at this point in the course of events, I am
afraid that my mind ceased to function with its usual acuity
for detail and observation. Instead, I recall only a series of
impressions - each, it seemed, more garish and terrifying
than the one preceding.
I recall those five columns of flame. We were quite
close to them, now, and I could feel the heat radiate from
every direction. The spouts of fire sputtered and hissed and
crackled, yet I could see no fuel of any sort. The pits were
smooth bowls of black stone, deeper than a man's height,
but rounded into the shape of a great cauldron.
The red flame - the centermost and tallest of the pillars -
stood in front of the others
|
