"Roger E. Moore - Spelljammer - Cloakmaster Cycle 03 - The Maelstrom" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moore Roger E)

The Maelstrom's Eye
Roger E. Moore
World - Spelljammer, Cloackmaster Cycle, Book 3
About The Author
Roger E. Moore joined TSR, Inc. in 1983 and has been the editor of DRAGON® Magazine since
1986. In his free time, he runs amok with his six-year-old son, John, writes articles, practices aikido, and
bakes bread in the shape of trilobites.

Scanned, formatted and proofed by Dreamcity
Ebook version 1.0
Release Date: June, 28, 2004

First Printing: May 1992
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 91-66503
ISBN: 1-56076-344-2

To everyone in the Milwaukee Aikido Club, who put up with my absences for the sake of this book,
and to kender everywhere- thank you.
Chapter One
The beholder's yellow central eye still bore the gleam of fanaticism, even in death. Its wild gaze,
undimmed by the passing of years, looked down at Teldin Moore as he walked past the guild hall where the
beast's spherical body was mounted over the main doors. Teldin's mouth went dry when he saw it, and he
couldn't help but stare.
A thick wooden beam ran through the back of the beholder's round body for support; the ash-gray
creature was wider than a man's reach with both arms. The dozen eyestalks on its top were cracked in
places, some revealing the iron rods that supported the fist-sized eyeball at each stalk's end. Teldin tried to
imagine what the ugly beast had been like in life, before it had met its final opponent and was turned into an
advertising sign.
"That's Graffin the Gray," said the big, blond-haired warrior at Teldin's side. Aelfred Silverhorn gave a
lopsided grin at the stuffed monster. "He's been there as long as I can recall. Quite a looker, isn't he? He
used to attack shipping near the Rock. It took three shiploads of men to kill him, and he disintegrated one of
them before the other two finished him off from behind."
"Interesting," said Teldin, finally looking away to watch the thick street traffic around them as they
walked on. He pulled his royal blue cloak closer around his shoulders. "I wouldn't like to meet one of those
here."
"There is one good thing about beholders," Aelfred replied, his eyes sparkling. "Given the choice, they'll
kill each other long before they'll kill us. But they're not going to give us any trouble here, old son. There's
one beholder who does live here, but Luigi's all right. He's a bartender. The Rock of Bral's just a calm,
run-of-the-mill place."
As he spoke, the big man made way for a pair of grunting, red-haired gorillas in rainbow-patterned
robes, each sorting through fruit in a streetside bin. Teldin tried hard not to stare as he and Aelfred walked
past them, but Aelfred never gave them a second glance. "The Rock isn't very big," he continued sagely,
scratching his broad chest through his loose black shirt. "Still, damn near everyone in the Known Spheres
comes here eventually. Politeness is the rule. You might have your pocket picked, but the picker's in more
danger than you are." Out of long habit, Aelfred let one hand stray to the money pouch on his thick brown
belt, then dropped his hand when satisfied of the pouch's safety.
Teldin nodded blankly, looking back at the red gorillas for a moment. Each wore two huge swords in
crossed scabbards on its back and probably weighed as much as three adult men. Their huge chests and
thick forearms were an effective promise of their talents. By contrast, Teldin's work-hardened frame
looked weak indeed.