"Gordon R. Dickson - Dragon Knight 08 - The Dragon in Lyonesse" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

“It does no harm to say the name aloud? Very well, then, I speak of the Dark Powers. I venture you will
tell me to consult Carolinus on this; but as we all know, he has been frail since his imprisonment by the
former Gnarly King. It was in my mind that I speak you first, my Lord.”

“None of this ‘my Lord’ business, Dafydd,” said Jim. “We’re privy and friends together, friends who
know you would be a prince if you moved down to those same ancestral lands under the ocean.”

“You know that, Dafydd,” said Angie.

The archer smiled a little sadly at both of them.

“I have not forgotten so,” he said. “But archer though I have chosen to be and am, you must remember I
was raised to a certain touch of manners, James and Angela.”

“Good enough,” said Jim. “But why the excitement about the Dark Powers mixing in human affairs
again? Carolinus says they do it all the time, trying to upset either Chance or History; so as to plunge us
all either into Chaos or Stasis.”

“Whatever it is those names import,” said Dafydd. “But never like this since that matter at the Loathly
Tower; and nothing so great as they now attempt, as long as the memory of man runneth, time out of
mind. As I say, perhaps this should have been a matter for Carolinus.”

“You won’t find Carolinus,” said Jim. “KinetetE’s keeping him with her; and that’s probably all for the
best. He needs the attention of a magician as strong as himself, to recover after what he went
through-and all he put himself through.”

“Then long may he stay until he is full well again,” replied Dafydd, “and if strength is needed Mage
KinetetE has it, as well as magickal wisdom.”

“Very true,” said Angie.

“But help I still need.”

“I know,” Jim said. “I can’t very well just take you to her without asking her first. But I can go to her
and talk to her about it. It might be a little hard for you to get in touch with her. But what did you mean
exactly about the Dark Powers’ not trying anything and sayings like... ‘time out of mind,” and ‘as the
memory of man runneth backward’?”

Jim was a little sensitive where those two phrases were concerned. They had been quoted at him a little
too often by his tenants and Castle people, whenever those people opposed something he had ordered.
Either phrase was universally accepted as the single, final, crushing argument to prove what he wanted
done had never been done. It therefore could not be done, could never be done, and so there was no
point even in talking any more about it.

“On second thought,” he added hastily, since his own words had sounded more than a little harsh in his
own ears, “never mind that. I was just wondering why it concerns us.”

“Indeed, it does not concern you,” said Dafydd, with a slight emphasis on the last word. “It concerns me
and my people only, James. I am come as a petitioner to beg the grace of your aid and help.”