"Sara Douglass - The Axis Trilogy 3 - StarMan" - читать интересную книгу автора (Douglass Sara)

Artor?"

"Axis," Jayme said, stepping forward. "What has happened to you? I thought I knew you, I thought I
could trust you."

"You thought you coulduse me."

Axis stared at Jayme a moment longer, then turned for the door.

"I only used you for Artor's sake," Jayme said so softly that Axis barely heard him.

Axis looked around to his once-beloved Brother-Leader. "I shall spare no effort in dismantling the
Seneschal, Jayme. I shall grind it and the cursed Way of the Plough into the dust where it belongs. I shall
bury your hatreds and your bigotry and your unreasoning fears and I shall never,never, allow it or any
like it to raise its deformed head in Tencendor again. Congratulations, Jayme. You will yet live to witness
the complete destruction of the Seneschal."

Jayme's face was now completely white and his mouth trembled. He held out a hand. "Axis!" But Axis
was gone.

The memory of that visit disturbed Jayme so much that he abased himself once more before Artor's
icon, seeking what comfort the crude figure could give him.

The guards had taken from his room the beautiful gold and enamel icon of Artor that had held pride of
place in the centre of the main wall. During the first two days of his captivity Jayme had laboriously
carved out a life-sized outline of the great god into the soft plaster of the wall. Even though he had torn
his nails with the effort, at least he had an icon to pray to.

He pressed his forehead to the floor.

The sound of noisy celebrations in the streets below finally roused him in the early evening. Curious
despite his despondency, Jayme wandered over to the window.

Cheerful crowds thronged the streets and Jayme listened carefully, trying to make out what they
shouted. Most held beakers of beer or ale, a few had goblets of wine. All were smiling.

"A toast to our lord and lady!" Jayme heard one stout fellow shout, and the crowd happily obliged.

"A marriage made in the stars, they say!" shouted another, and Jayme was horrified to see that it came
from one of several winged creatures in the crowd.

He frowned. Had Axis married Faraday already?

A tiny piece of plaster fell to the floor behind him. Then another. Deep in concentration on the scene
below him, Jayme did not hear.

"To Axis!"
 "And to Azhure!"

Large cracks spread across the wall, and a piece of plaster the size of a man's fist bulged into the