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Roger Zelazny. Sign of chaos
Atec Ноябрь 07 2007 02:48:28
Книга только для ознакомления
. A pair of twisters were again circling
the outer walls. If there had not been a moat, they would probably have done
a good job of creating one. They stayed almost exactly 180 degrees apart,
and they took turns at illumination. The nearest one grew spark-shot with
bolts of lightning, acquiring an eerie incandescence; then, as it began to
fade, the other brightened. They passed through this cycle several times as
I watched.
Jasra made a small noise, and I turned and asked her, "What's going
on?"
"The ritual," she n'sponded. "Someone is playing with those forces
right now."
"Can you tell how far along they might be?" I asked.
"Not really. They could just be starting, or they could be finished
already. All the poles of fire tell me is that everything is in place."
"You call it then, Jasra," I told her. "Where should we put in our
appearance?"
"There are two long hallways leading to the chamber of the fountain,"
she said. "One is on the same level and the other a floor above it. The
chamber itself is several stories high."
"I recall that," I acknowledged.
"If they are working directly with the forces and we simply appear
within the chamber," she continued, "the advantage of surprise will only be
momentary. I can't say for certain what they might hit us with. Better to
approach along one of the two hallways and give me a chance to assess the
situation
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