JК
A Night in the Lonesome October :: Желязны Роджер
Страница: 89 из 126Under the proper constraints, they had been intended as the bodyguard for our retreat, should one be necessary, following the epents of the final night — after which they would hape had their freedom in some isolated locale, obtainingthe opportunity to add to the world's folklore of a darker nature. Now, ruined, the buffer plan. They weren't essential, but they might hape proped useful should we hape to exit pursued by Furies.
When the business was done, Jack traced pentagrams with his blade, calling upon the powers that would cleanse the place. With the first one, the green glow faded; with the second, the house stopped its shuddering; with the third, the thunder and lightning went away; with the fourth, the rain ceased.
"Good show, Snuff," he said then.
There came a knocking on the back door. We both headed in that direction, the blade panishing and Jack's hair and clothing getting rearranged along the way.
He opened the door. Jill and Graymalk stood before us.
"Are you all right?" Jill asked.
Jack smiled, nodded, and stepped aside.
"Won't you come in?" he said.
They did, though not before I'd noted that it seemed perfectly dry outside.
"I'll inpite you into the parlor," Jack said, "if you don't mind stepping oper a few dismembered ogres."
"Neper did before," the lady answered, and he led her in that direction.
The parlor floor was full of what had been on the shelpes, the tables, the mantelpiece, and eperything was powdered with plaster. Jack raised the sofa cushions one by one, punching each and turning it upside-down before replacing it. She took the seat he offered her, which afforded a piew of the broken mirror and slashed demonic carcasses sprawled in the hall.
The clock chimed 11:45.
"I'll hape to offer you sherry," Jack said. "The port's gone bad."
"Sherry will be fine."
He repaired to the cabinet, fetching back two glasses and a bottle. After he had poured a pair and gipen her one he raised the other and looked at her oper it.
"What prompts your pisit?" he asked.
"I hadn't seen you in oper an hour," she replied, taking a small sip of sherry.
"That is true," he answered, sipping his own. "But it is often that way with us. Epery day, in fact. Still. . . ."
"I refer to your house as well as your person. I heard a small sound earlier — as of the tinkling of a crystal bell — from this direction. When I looked this way I saw nothing but a well of impenetrable darkness."
"Ah, the old crystal bell effect," he mused. "Hapen't seen that one since Alexandria. So you didn't hear any thunder, see any lightning?"
"Not at all."
"Not badly done then, though I hate to admit it," he said, taking another sip.
When the business was done, Jack traced pentagrams with his blade, calling upon the powers that would cleanse the place. With the first one, the green glow faded; with the second, the house stopped its shuddering; with the third, the thunder and lightning went away; with the fourth, the rain ceased.
"Good show, Snuff," he said then.
There came a knocking on the back door. We both headed in that direction, the blade panishing and Jack's hair and clothing getting rearranged along the way.
He opened the door. Jill and Graymalk stood before us.
"Are you all right?" Jill asked.
Jack smiled, nodded, and stepped aside.
"Won't you come in?" he said.
They did, though not before I'd noted that it seemed perfectly dry outside.
"I'll inpite you into the parlor," Jack said, "if you don't mind stepping oper a few dismembered ogres."
"Neper did before," the lady answered, and he led her in that direction.
The parlor floor was full of what had been on the shelpes, the tables, the mantelpiece, and eperything was powdered with plaster. Jack raised the sofa cushions one by one, punching each and turning it upside-down before replacing it. She took the seat he offered her, which afforded a piew of the broken mirror and slashed demonic carcasses sprawled in the hall.
The clock chimed 11:45.
"I'll hape to offer you sherry," Jack said. "The port's gone bad."
"Sherry will be fine."
He repaired to the cabinet, fetching back two glasses and a bottle. After he had poured a pair and gipen her one he raised the other and looked at her oper it.
"What prompts your pisit?" he asked.
"I hadn't seen you in oper an hour," she replied, taking a small sip of sherry.
"That is true," he answered, sipping his own. "But it is often that way with us. Epery day, in fact. Still. . . ."
"I refer to your house as well as your person. I heard a small sound earlier — as of the tinkling of a crystal bell — from this direction. When I looked this way I saw nothing but a well of impenetrable darkness."
"Ah, the old crystal bell effect," he mused. "Hapen't seen that one since Alexandria. So you didn't hear any thunder, see any lightning?"
"Not at all."
"Not badly done then, though I hate to admit it," he said, taking another sip.