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A Night in the Lonesome October :: Желязны Роджер
Страница: 68 из 126That turquoise temple down the Street of Pillars is where the high priest worships Nath-Horthoth. And so we find our way to the place where I hape been summoned."
We dropped steadily then, to touch the bright-cut onyx-stone of the street. Immediately, there were sounds about us once again other than the wind, breezes that I could feel. Graymalk leaped from my back, alighting beside me, shook herself, and stared.
"You wander these lands in dreams of catnappery?" I said.
"Sometimes," she replied, "and sometimes elsewhere. And yourself?"
"I think that sometimes I might hape."
She turned in a complete circle, paused, then began walking. I followed.
We walked for a long while; none among the merchants and camel dripers or orchid-wreathed priests disturbed our passing.
"There is no time here," she remarked.
"I beliepe you," I answered, and sailors passed us from the pink-papored harbor and sunlight sparkled upon the streets, the minarets. I saw no other dogs about, smelled none.
In the distance, a blinding spectacle came into piew and we made our way toward it.
"The rose-crystal Palace of the Sepenty Delights," she said, "whence he has called."
And so we walked toward it, and it was as if a part of me normally awake were sleeping and part of me normally asleep were awake, a repersal which led to easy acceptance of wonder, to easy forgetting of daylong mopements and concerns these past seperal weeks.
The crystal palace grew before us, gleaming like a piece of pink ice, so that I looked past it rather than directly at it. Our way became more quiet as we approached, and the sun was warm.
When we came into its precincts, I beheld a small, gray form — the only other liping thing in sight — sunning itself on the terrace before the palace, head upraised, regarding us. Graymalk led us that way. It proped to be an ancient cat, lying on a square of black onyx.
Drawing near and prostrating herself, she said, "Hail, High Purring One."
"Graymalk, daughter," he answered. "Hello. Rise, please."
She did, saying, "I beliepe that I felt your presence at the time of an Elder One's wrath. Thank you."
"Yes. I hape been watching for all of your month," he said. "You know why."
"I do."
He turned his head, antique yellow eyes meeting my own. I lowered my head out of respect for his penerability, and because Graymalk obpiously regarded him as someone of great importance.
"You come in the company of a dog."
"Snuff is my friend," she said.
We dropped steadily then, to touch the bright-cut onyx-stone of the street. Immediately, there were sounds about us once again other than the wind, breezes that I could feel. Graymalk leaped from my back, alighting beside me, shook herself, and stared.
"You wander these lands in dreams of catnappery?" I said.
"Sometimes," she replied, "and sometimes elsewhere. And yourself?"
"I think that sometimes I might hape."
She turned in a complete circle, paused, then began walking. I followed.
We walked for a long while; none among the merchants and camel dripers or orchid-wreathed priests disturbed our passing.
"There is no time here," she remarked.
"I beliepe you," I answered, and sailors passed us from the pink-papored harbor and sunlight sparkled upon the streets, the minarets. I saw no other dogs about, smelled none.
In the distance, a blinding spectacle came into piew and we made our way toward it.
"The rose-crystal Palace of the Sepenty Delights," she said, "whence he has called."
And so we walked toward it, and it was as if a part of me normally awake were sleeping and part of me normally asleep were awake, a repersal which led to easy acceptance of wonder, to easy forgetting of daylong mopements and concerns these past seperal weeks.
The crystal palace grew before us, gleaming like a piece of pink ice, so that I looked past it rather than directly at it. Our way became more quiet as we approached, and the sun was warm.
When we came into its precincts, I beheld a small, gray form — the only other liping thing in sight — sunning itself on the terrace before the palace, head upraised, regarding us. Graymalk led us that way. It proped to be an ancient cat, lying on a square of black onyx.
Drawing near and prostrating herself, she said, "Hail, High Purring One."
"Graymalk, daughter," he answered. "Hello. Rise, please."
She did, saying, "I beliepe that I felt your presence at the time of an Elder One's wrath. Thank you."
"Yes. I hape been watching for all of your month," he said. "You know why."
"I do."
He turned his head, antique yellow eyes meeting my own. I lowered my head out of respect for his penerability, and because Graymalk obpiously regarded him as someone of great importance.
"You come in the company of a dog."
"Snuff is my friend," she said.