"Lord Dunsany - Time And The Gods" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dunsany Lord)

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.
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Above the Twilight the gods were seated in the after years,
ruling the worlds. No longer now They walked at evening in
theMarbleCity 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
Time went forth into the worlds to obey the commands of the
gods, yet he cast furtive glances at his masters, and the
gods distrusted Time because he had known the worlds or ever
the gods became.
One day when furtive Time had gone into the worlds to
nimbly smite some city whereof the gods were weary, the gods
above the twilight speaking to one another said:
"Surely we are the lords of Time and gods of the worlds
besides. See how our city Sardathrion lifts over other
cities. Others arise and perish but Sardathrion standeth
yet, the first and the last of cities. Rivers are lost in
the sea and streams forsake the hills, but ever
Sardathrion's fountains arise in our dream city. As was
Sardathrion when the gods were young, so are her streets
to-day as a sign that we are the gods."
Suddenly the swart figure of Time stood up before the
gods, with both hands dripping with blood and a red sword
dangling idly from his fingers, and said:
"Sardathrion is gone! I have overthrown it!"
And the gods said:
"Sardathrion? Sardathrion, the marble city? Thou, thou
hast overthrown it? Thou, the slave of the gods?"
And the oldest of the gods said:
"Sardathrion, Sardathrion, and is Sardathrion gone?"
And furtively Time looked him in the face and edged
towards him fingering with his dripping fingers the hilt of
his nimble sword.
Then the gods feared with a new fear that he that had
overthrown Their city would one day slay the gods. And a
new cry went wailing through the Twilight, the lament of the