[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

as the night hunters returned in twos and threes to their black home. They
filled the air between earth and moon.
Another pair lifted from the plateau, heading for interior darkness
and a good, warm day's sleep. Jon-Tom could only hope those homes would be as
invulnerable as their inhabitants believed from the eventual attacks of the
Plated Polk.
The last of the lemurs stared at them curiously while her companion
owl kicked impatiently at the ground. The sun had peeked over the eastern
crags and those great eyes were three-quarters closed in half sleep.
"There's one tiling I'd like to know. How do you warmlanders expect
to penetrate Cugluch?"
"Disguise," Clothahump told her confidently.
"You do not look much like Plated Folk," replied the lemur
doubtfully.
Clothahump shook a finger at her, spoke knowingly. "The greatest
disguise is assurance. We will be protected because no Plated One would
believe our presence. And where assurance operates, magic is not far behind."
The lemur shrugged. "I think you are all fools, brave fools, and
soon-to-be-dead fools. But we will show the Weavers the path they require and
you the path to your Deaths." She looked upward. "Your guides come."
Two owls descended to join them. One motioned to the waiting
Ananthos. The Weaver trembled slightly as he made his farewells.
"we shall meet at the gate," he told them. "that is, if I survive
this journey, i am not afraid of heights, but I have never been in a high
place where i could not break a fall by attaching silk to some solid object,
Page 169
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
you cannot spin from a cloud."
He climbed on the owl's back, waved legs at them. The owl took a few
steps, flapping mighty wings, and then soared into the air of morning. He wore
dark shades to protect him from the sunlight.
They watched until the wings became a black line on the horizon.
Then the pair faded even from Caz's view.
The small hoot owl stood muttering to herself nearby. Her kilt was
black, purple, and yellow. "I'm Imanooo," she informed them brusquely. "Let's
get on with this. I'll point you the way for two days, but that's all. Then
you're on your own."
The remaining lemur mounted his saddle. "I still think you're all
fools, but," he smiled broadly, "many a brave fool has succeeded where a
cautious genius has failed. Fly well." He saluted with an arm wave as he and
his friend rose skyward.
Alone in their cold-weather garb, the travelers watched until the
last pairing vanished into the hematite. Then Imanooo rose and started off to
the south, and they followed.
The path where there was no path carried them steadily lower. The
unvarying downhill hike was a welcome change from the tortuous march to
Ironcloud. The day after Imanooo left them they began to discard their heavy
clothing. Soon they were down among trees and bushes, and snow was only a
fading memory.
Jon-Tom slowed his pace to stay alongside Clothahump. The wizard was
in excellent spirits and showed no ill effects from the past weeks of
marching.
"Sir?"
"Yes, my boy?" Eyes looked up at him through the thick glasses.
Abruptly Jon-Tom felt uncomfortable. It had seemed so simple a while ago when
he'd thought of it, a mere question. Now it fought to hide in his throat.
"Well, sir," he finally got out, "among my people there's a certain
Page 170
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
mental condition."
"Go on, boy."
"It has a common name. It's called a death wish."
"That's interesting," said Clothahump thoughtfully. "I presume it
refers to someone who wishes to die."
Jon-Tom nodded. ' 'Sometimes the person isn't aware of it himself
and it has to be pointed out to him by another. Even then he may not believe
it."
They walked on a while longer before he added, "Sir, no disrespect
intended, but do you think you might have a death wish?"
"On the contrary, my boy," replied the wizard, apparently not
offended in the least, "I have a life wish. I'm only putting myself into
danger to preserve life for others. That hardly means I want to relinquish my
own."
"I know, sir, but it seems to me that you've taken us from one
danger to another only to take successively bigger risks. In other words, the
more we survive, the more you seem to want to chance death."
"A valid contention based solely on the evidence and your personal
interpretation of it," said Clothahump. "You ignore one thing: I wish to
survive and live as much as any of you."
"Can you be certain of that, sir? After all, you've already lived
more than twice a normal human lifetime, a much fuller life than any of the
rest of us." He gestured at the others.
"Would it pain you so much to die?"
"I follow your reasoning, my boy. You're saying that I am willing to
risk death because I've already had a reasonable life and therefore have less
than you to lose."
Page 171
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Jon-Tom didn't reply.
"My boy, you haven't lived long enough to understand life. Believe
me, it is more precious to me now because I have less of it. I guard every day
jealously because I know it may be my last. I don't have less to lose than
you: I have more to lose."
"I just wanted to be sure, sir."
"Of what? The reasons for my decisions? You can be, boy. They are
founded upon a single motivation: the need to prevent the Plated Masses from
annihilating civilization. Even if I did want to die, I would not do so until
I had expended every bit of energy in my body to prevent that conflagration
from destroying the warmlands. I might kill myself if I suffered from the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

zanotowane.pl

doc.pisz.pl

pdf.pisz.pl

glaz.keep.pl