Thraxas / Траксас: Двадесета глава

Английски оригинал Перевод на български

Chapter Twenty

#1 в контекст

I stare at the kuriya pool with fury. I'm looking at a picture of the Fairy Glade. I presume the magic pool is once more making a fool of me. Having spent a considerable time working myself into a trance looking for information all I get is a picture of the place where my ex-wife had her assignations with the young Sorcerer. I thought it was all in the past but it must still be troubling me to interfere with the kuriya like this. Any strong image in your own mind can cause interference. Sorcerer's Apprentices often get pictures of their favourite actresses. So do Sorcerers.

#2 в контекст

This is the last of my kuriya. A waste of money. I'm about to give up in disgust when the pleasant vision of grass and flowers suddenly darkens and a malevolent face begins to take shape. I try to break the connection but it's too late, I'm trapped and I lack the power to pull away.

#3 в контекст

"Bad mistake, Thraxas," growls the malevolent image. "You should know better than to meddle with me."

#4 в контекст

"And who the hell are you?" I demand.

#5 в контекст

"I am Horm the Dead."

#6 в контекст

I cringe. My skin crawls. I'm scared. I try not to show it. "Well, nice to meet you, Horm. But I've a few things to be getting on with—"

#7 в контекст

Horm rasps out some evil spell and my room seems to explode. I'm blinded by a searing light and flung against the wall. My desk bounces on to my chest and shards of broken glass rain down on my head as I crumple to the floor. Makri hears the noise and rushes in to find me lying hurt and confused with most of my furniture piled on top of me. She hauls the desk off me then helps me to my feet.

#8 в контекст

"What happened?"

#9 в контекст

It takes me a while to get my breath. "A message from Horm the Dead," I gasp, eventually.

#10 в контекст

Makri unsheathes her sword and whirls round.

#11 в контекст

"Not here. In the pool. He sent a spell through."

#12 в контекст

"Can you do that?"

#13 в контекст

"No," I reply. "Well, not according to what I learned anyway. I guess Horm the Dead might have some tricks we don't know in the west."

#14 в контекст

Makri bursts out laughing.

#15 в контекст

"What's funny?"

#16 в контекст

"You're covered in ink."

#17 в контекст

"Makri, I just suffered an attack from one of the world's most deadly Sorcerers. I don't see anything funny in that."

#18 в контекст

This makes Makri laugh some more. "You shouldn't have pawned your protection charm. Why is Horm trying to kill you?"

#19 в контекст

I really can't say. Just something I've blundered into as usual. But if Horm has been wrecking my room, I must have got closer to his business than he'd like.

#20 в контекст

Even Makri has heard tales of the malevolent power of Horm the Dead. "Didn't I hear you say one time that you'd never go up against him?"

#21 в контекст

I shrug, pretending to be unconcerned. Makri is not fooled. She lectures me on the stupidity of getting involved in too many cases at once.

#22 в контекст

"You don't even know why people are trying to kill you any more."

#23 в контекст

"I keep telling you I need the money."

#24 в контекст

"You shouldn't have got in debt to the Brotherhood."

#25 в контекст

"You think I don't know that? Can't you do something useful instead of lecturing me all the time?"

#26 в контекст

I hate it when I find myself involved with powerful Sorcerers. I should stick to divorce work.

#27 в контекст

Gurd is furious about the room. Destroyed three times in three days. A new record. He mutters darkly about looking for a tenant who won't keep ruining his furniture, and I have to divert him by steering the conversation round towards Tanrose, which I don't really have time for.

#28 в контекст

Later I tell Makri about the latest developments with Cerius, and the crossbow attack.

#29 в контекст

"I used the last of my kuriya looking for some clues but all I got was a vision of the Fairy Glade."

#30 в контекст

"What's it like?"

#31 в контекст

"Like a puddle of black ink."

#32 в контекст

"Not the kuriya, idiot. The Fairy Glade."

#33 в контекст

"Oh. Well, it's idyllic, during the days. Fairies flying around, unicorns wandering through the trees, Nymphs and Dryads playing music, beautiful flowers, sparkling streams. You should go, Makri, you'd like it."

#34 в контекст

"Maybe. I could use a bit of peace after living in this stinking city for a year. But Gurd says no one with Orcish blood can get in."

#35 в контекст

This is true. The Fairy Glade is deep in the woods, a long way from the city, and it's protected from harm by various natural magics, one of which does not allow an Orc to enter.

#36 в контекст

"You're only one quarter Orc. And you're one quarter Elf. The Fairies are big on Elves. They might take to you."

#37 в контекст

Makri says she has had quite enough rejection from Humans to risk more at the hands of Fairies, Nymphs and Dryads.

#38 в контекст

I wonder where my wife and the young Sorcerer went after running off to the Glade all those years ago. They couldn't have stayed there long. No Human can spend a night there. Sleep comes on even if you fight it, and then the dreams drive you mad. Literally mad. Every year a few romantic or foolhardy young souls try it, and the result is always the same; they wander off to perish somewhere in the wilds or end up back in Turai begging aimlessly on street corners. The Fairy Glade is strictly for daytime visits only.

#39 в контекст

Makri says she keeps passing meetings with orators haranguing crowds in the streets, and earlier in the day she'd seen one meeting disrupted by a group of armed men.

#40 в контекст

"Election. Deputy Consul's post's coming up for grabs."

#41 в контекст

"Don't you know anything about the city you live in?"

#43 в контекст

I remember Makri hasn't been in Turai long enough to have seen an election, so I explain to her that the Deputy Consul is second only to the Consul, who's second only to the King, and that the post comes up for grabs every two years.

#45 в контекст

"The Traditionals, who support the King, always held the post but last time Rittius won it for the Populares. Since then Lodius's party has been gaining power. Something to do with the Royal Family bleeding the city dry, no doubt. Cicerius is trying to win it back for the Traditionals."

#46 в контекст

"So why all the fighting?" asks Makri.

#47 в контекст

"Politics is like that in Turai. No one wins an election without bribing some voters and frightening others. The Traditionals generally employ the Brotherhood as their strong-arm men and the Populares use the Society of Friends."

#48 в контекст

Makri asks if she's entitled to vote and I tell her no, women aren't allowed, which puts her in a bad mood, even when I point out that no one is worth voting for.

#49 в контекст

"Not even the Populares? Wouldn't some democracy be a good thing?"

#50 в контекст

Следваща страница →

Минутку...