"L. E. Modesitt - Recluce 11 - The Death of Chaos" - читать интересную книгу автора (Modesitt L E)

After rescuing some of Commander Ferrel's Finest and disposing of one white wizard, I reached
Kyphrien. I found Krystal had worked her way up to the number two position in the Finest, and that
I'd missed being with her-except I'd been too stupid to see that. Of course, it wasn't that
simple. Nothing is. So, I'd had to go seek out Antonin. He and his white colleague Sephya had
enslaved Tamra, who had been exiled from Recluce with me. Sephya had started to take over Tamra's
body-that's how the body-switchers prolong their lives-and both of them tried to tempt me. Because
after two years of refusing good adult advice, I'd finally gotten around to reading The Basis of
Order, I had this half-finished idea that I could stand up to Antonin. I did, sort of. In the end,
he died because, after I'd figured out that I had to break my own staff because part of my soul
and abilities were locked in it, I'd managed to separate him from the forces of chaos. His castle
came apart, and Tamra and I had barely made it out. Tamra lost half her mind, and I'd rebuilt it-
with Justen screaming from half a country away that I couldn't, but I did anyway. Then I got a
reward for the success of surviving my stupidity and was smart enough to tell Krystal I loved her.
After that, I built the house and shop and tried to get back to woodwork and avoid unnecessary
wizardry.
And all of it happened just because I hadn't applied the glue clamps right to a tabletop in my
uncle's workshop in Recluce.
I shook my head because Justen and Tamra were arriving, and reminiscing wasn't going to finish
the wardrobe. I actually got the finish on before three more horses clinked into the yard. I
shrugged, set the cloths aside, and hurried out into the cool fall breeze. When winter nears in
Candar, the air carries an acrid tang, not quite musty, not quite bitter-something to do with the
graying of the leaves.
My dark-haired and black-eyed subcommander got a hug first, men a kiss, almost as soon as her
boots hit the ground. Tamra and Justen were still mounted-Justen, as always, on Rosefoot.
"You did miss me." Krystal grinned.
"I always miss you." I hugged her again.
"Don't seem so pleased, Krystal," said Tamra.
"I am pleased. Someday you'll understand." Krystal gave me another hug, and a long, lingering
kiss, and I didn't even mind where the hilt of her sword jabbed into my guts.
"Disgusting..." Tamra swung off her horse. She wore her usual dark grays, with a scarf to set
off her red hair. The scarf was blue this time, matching her ice-blue eyes.
Justen slipped off Rosefoot with an ease borne of long practice and looked at his apprentice.
"We can stable all three horses, Tamra."
"Give him hell, Krystal," said Tamra as she took the reins of Krystal's chestnut.
In her own way, Krystal was, and we were both enjoying it, but we eventually went inside, where
Krystal slipped off for a moment to wash up while I washed in the kitchen and then joined the
others at the table.
Rissa had set a loaf of fresh bread on the table along with olive butter and some redberry
preserves she'd gotten from somewhere. I missed the pearapples of the north, but Kyphros was
really too warm to grow them.
Tamra reached for the bread. The redhead was always hungry, but stayed as slim as a rail."One
good thing about visiting you, Lerris-good food. You're getting fat and sloppy, though."
"Hardly. My trousers are looser."
"Rissa must be letting them out."
"I do believe I saw you with a needle the other day," offered Justen, looking at Tamra.
Tamra flushed. Rissa giggled. Justen raised an eyebrow at Tamra, his still-unruly apprentice. I


file:///F|/rah/L.%20E.%20Modesitt/Modesitt,%2...cluse%2011%20-%20The%20Death%20Of%20Chaos.txt (3 of 289) [5/22/03 12:51:50 AM]
 file:///F|/rah/L.%20E.%20Modesitt/Modesitt,%20L%20E%20-%20Recluse%2011%20-%20The%20Death%20Of%20Chaos.txt