"Julia Gray - Guardian 04 - The Red Glacier" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gray Julia)

'That's a daunting thought.'
'It is rather, but I shouldn't let it worry you,' Kjolur advised. 'As far as I
know, the gods haven't put in too many appearances lately. What's more
interesting is the fact that there's supposed to be a funnel that leads all
the way up from a cave at sea-level to the top of the whale, where it emerges
at the creature's blowhole.'
'Its what?'
'Blowhole. Whales aren't like other fish. In fact, some people say they aren't
really fish at all. Sounds crazy, doesn't it? It's because whales have to come
up to the surface every so often. They breathe the same air we do, unlike true
fishes. The blowhole is on top of their heads, and that's how they breathe.
Blowing water out and taking air in. But that's all beside the point. The
stone whale mimics the real creatures in a most ingenious way. If there's a
storm, and the wind is in the southwest, the waves force water up the funnel
until it bursts out at the top in a spout.'
'That must be quite a sight,' Terrel commented.
'I'm sure it is,' Kjolur agreed. 'And according to the legend, anyone who
stands beside the hole when it appears - especially if they're splashed by the
seawater - is granted a vision of the future. Sound familiar at all?'
'It's certainly an odd method of prophecy,' Terrel said, 'but then it's a
strange process by its very nature.' He was intrigued, and wondered whether he
might be able to climb the sculpture. Then something else occurred to him.
'I'd rather there wasn't a storm when we get there, though. If Ostan's to be
believed, going ashore's going to be hard enough as it is.'
The next morning, Terrel was beckoned over to the starboard rail by one of the
sailors, who pointed to something
in the water some distance away. A smooth black hump rose above the waves,
then sank again. It was replaced by a fluid shape that looked rather like a
double-sided black sail. This rose, streaming foam, flipped over with slow
grace, then slid back into the sea.
'What was that?' Terrel asked, though he thought he already knew.
'A black whale. That was its tail there at the end, when it dived.'
Terrel stared in awe, but saw nothing more. He had glimpsed only the top of
the creature's arched back and its tail, but that was enough for him to tell
that it was enormous. Which meant that the life-sized sculpture would be just
as big.
Two days later, a shout from the lookout in the bows alerted both Terrel and
the crew to the fact that their voyage was almost over. The healer gazed at
the purple smudge on the horizon and knew that it was his first view of
Myvatan.
Chapter Five
When Terrel eventually set foot upon the rocks of Myvatan, his first
impression was not of the bitter wind that threatened to overbalance him, or
of the black water that swirled around his perch. It was not of the daunting
cliffs that towered above him, or of the seabirds that shrieked and whirled
overhead. It was not even the sheer relief of finally having had the courage
to leap from the skiff, timing his jump with the swell, and managing to gain a
foothold on solid ground. The feeling that swept over him and through him,
filling every particle of his being with a chill dread, was an almost
overwhelming sense of madness.