"David Eddings - The Dreamers 02 - The Treasured One" - читать интересную книгу автора (Eddings David)

overfed sycophants either fainted dead away or fled in terror. I smiled faintly.
Nothing in the world seems to get everybody’s immediate attention more quickly than
a thunderbolt.

Aracia’s golden throne stood on a marble pedestal, and there were red drapes
behind it. ‘Have you ever considered letting me know when you’re coming,
Dahlaine?’ my splendidly dressed sister demanded in an icy tone of voice.

‘I just did,’ I replied bluntly. ‘Are your ears starting to fail, Aracia? Any time you
hear thunder, it’s probably me.’ I looked around my sister’s throne-room and saw a
fair number of wide-eyed clergymen trying to conceal themselves behind the marble
pillars at the sides of the vast chamber. ‘Let’s go find someplace private, dear sister.
There are some things you should know about, and I don’t have all that much time.’

‘You’re very rude, Dahlaine. Did you know that?’

‘It’s a failing of mine. Over the years, I’ve found that “polite” is a waste of time,
and I’m just a bit busy right now. Shall we go?’ I’ve long since discovered that
abruptness is the best way to get Aracia’s immediate attention. Any time I give her
the least bit of slack, she’ll lapse into ‘ceremonial’, and that usually takes at least half
a day.

Aracia looked more than a little offended, but she did rise up from her golden
throne and step down off the pedestal to lead the way out of her ornate throne-room.

‘What’s got you so stirred up today, big brother?’ Aracia asked as we proceeded
down a long, deserted hallway.

‘Let’s hold off until we get to some private place,’ I suggested. ‘There’s trouble in
the wind, and I don’t think we should alarm the people of your Domain just yet.’

Aracia led the way into a rather plain room and closed the door behind us. We sat
down in large wooden chairs on opposite sides of an ornately carved table.

‘Are you sure that none of your people can hear us here?’

‘Of course they can’t, Dahlaine,’ she replied. ‘This room’s one of those “special”
places. Nobody’ll be able to hear us, because the room isn’t really here.’

‘How did you manage that?’

She shrugged. ‘A slight adjustment of time is all it takes. This room is two days
older than the rest of the temple, so we’re talking to each other two days ago.’

‘Clever,’ I said admiringly.

‘I’m glad you like it. What’s happening that’s got you so stirred up, Dahlaine?’

‘Ashad had one of those dreams last night, dear sister. Evidently the Vlagh didn’t
learn too much in Zelana’s Domain, so it’s sending its servants South toward Veltan’s