"David Eddings - The Dreamers 01 - The Elder gods" - читать интересную книгу автора (Eddings David)

the grotto, filling that hidden cave with a glowing pink light. Almost in
spite of herself, Zelana feasted on that light and found it delicious beyond
the taste of any other light she had savored in the past ten eons. And she
shuddered and glowed with pure delight as she feasted.
Beyond that shallow pool at the entrance was a floor covered with fine
white sand touched with the luminous pink of the prevailing light, and
there was also a musically tinkling trickle of fresh water in a little niche at
the rear, and all manner of interesting nooks and crannies along the
curved walls.
‘Well?’ Meeleamee squeaked, ‘What do you think, Beloved?’
‘It’s lovely, lovely,’ Zelana replied. ‘It’s the most beautiful place on all
the Isle.’
‘I’m glad you like it,’ Meeleamee said modestly. ‘I thought you might
like to visit here now and then.’
‘No, dear one,’ Zelana replied. ‘I won’t need to visit. I’m going to live
here. It’s perfect, and I deserve a little perfection.’
‘You won’t stay here all the time, will you, Beloved?’ Meeleamee
squeaked in consternation.
‘Of course not, dear one,’ Zelana replied. ‘I’ll still come out to play
with you and my other friends. But this beautiful place will be my home.’
‘What is “home”?’ Meeleamee asked curiously.


It was on a day much like any other when Dahlaine of the North came
up out of the passageway that led to Zelana’s pink grotto to advise his
sister that there was trouble in the wind in the Land ofDhrall.
‘I don’t see how that’s any concern of mine, dear brother,’ Zelana told
him. ‘The mountains protect the lands of the West on one side, and
Mother Sea protects them on the other. How can the creatures of the
Wasteland ever reach me?’
‘The Land of Dhrall is all one piece, dear sister,’ Dahlaine reminded
her, ‘and no natural barrier is completely insurmountable. The creatures
of your lands of the West stand in as great a danger as all the others. I
think it’s about time for you to come out of your little hide-away here and
start paying attention to the world around you. How long has it been since
you last surveyed your Domain?’
Zelana shrugged. ‘A few eons is all - certainly no more than a dozen.
Have I missed anything significant?’
 ‘The man-creatures have made a bit of progress. They’re making tools
now, and they’ve learned how to build fires. You really ought to look in
on them once in a while.’
‘What in the world for? They’re stupid and vicious, and they stink. My
dolphins are cleaner and wiser, and their hearts are large and filled with
love. If the creatures of the Wasteland are hungry, let them eat the man-
creatures. I won’t miss them.’
‘The people of the West are your responsibility, Zelana,’ Dahlaine
reminded her.
‘So are the flies and ants and roaches, and they seem to be getting
along well enough.’
‘You can’t just ignore the world, Zelana,’ Dahlaine told her. ‘There are