"Dunsany, Lord - Time and the Gods" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dunsany Lord)

walk Sardathrion's streets, and not to common eyes to see
her fountains. Only to those to whom in lonely passes in
the night the gods have spoken, leaning through the stars,
to those that have heard the voices of the gods above the
morning or seen Their faces bending above the sea, only to
those hath it been given to see Sardathrion, to stand where
her pinnacles gathered together in the night fresh from the
dreams of gods. For round the valley a great desert lies
through which no common traveller may come, but those whom
the gods have chosen feel suddenly a great longing at heart,
and crossing the mountains that divide the desert from the
world, set out across it driven by the gods, till hidden in
the desert's midst they find the valley at last and look
with eyes upon Sardathrion.
In the desert beyond the valley grow a myriad thorns, and
all pointing towards Sardathrion. So may many that the gods
have loved come to the marble city, but none can return, for
other cities are no fitting home for men whose feet have
touched Sardathrion's marble streets, where even the gods
have not been ashamed to come in the guise of men with Their
cloaks wrapped about their faces. Therefore no city shall
ever hear the songs that are sung in the marble citadel by
those in whose ears have rung the voices of the gods. No
report shall ever come to other lands of the music of the
fall of Sardathrion's fountains, when the waters which went
heavenward return again into the lake where the gods cool
Their brows sometimes in the guise of men. None may ever
hear the speech of the poets of that city, to whom the gods
have spoken.
It stands a city aloof. There hath been no rumour of it
-- I alone have dreamed of it, and I may not be sure that my
dreams are true.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Above the Twilight the gods were seated in the after years,
ruling the worlds. No longer now They walked at evening in
the Marble City hearing the fountains splash, or listening to
the singing of the men they loved, because it was in the after
years and the work of the gods was to be done.
But often as they rested a moment from doing the work of
the gods, from hearing the prayers of men or sending here
the Pestilence or there Mercy, They would speak awhile with
one another of the olden years saying, "Rememberest thou not
Sardathrion?" and another would answer "Ah! Sardathrion, and
all Sardathrion's mist-draped marble lawns whereon we walk
not now."
Then the gods turned to do the work of the gods,
answering the prayers of men or smiting them, and ever They
sent Their swarthy servant Time to heal or overwhelm. And