"Jack Vance - Demon Prince 04 - The Face" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vance Jack)

vertical straggles to the north for miles, through the
Moynal district, then Drury, Wigaltown, Dundivy, Gara
with its Dulcidrome, and finally Slayhack with the space-
port.

Of all these districts Old Town exerts the most beguil-
ing charm. Despite streaming mists, odd-smelling vapors,
crooked streets, crotchety buildings, this district is far from
dull. The local folk wear garments only in shades of brown
sand and taupe, through the middle tans, through oak and
other wood into the deepest umbers When they go abroad
in the fitful Vega-light, their costumes against the stone,
black iron, and sooty timbers create an effect of peculiar
richness, the more so for an occasional dark red, yellow, or
dark blue turban. At night Old Town flickers to the light
of innumerable lanterns hung by ancient ordinance before
the doorway of every alehouse Since the crabbed streets
and innumerable little alleys have never been named, much
less have known the presence of a name-sign, the stranger
quickly learns to steer a course by means of the alehouses'
lanterns

The Ambrosian monks, first to settle beside Lake
Feamish, built in contemptuous disregard for order, in ac-

THE FACE 533

cordance with the hectic fervor of their creed The Order
of Aloysians who came forty years later (and who gave the
world its name) halfheartedly tried to modify Old Town,
then lost interest and after establishing the new Bethamy
Quarter gave all their energies to the construction of Tem-
ple St. Revelras.

Gersen left the Domus and sauntered north along the central pa-
rade of the Orangery a formal garden of twenty acres, inappropri-
ately named since, among the carefully clipped trees, were to be
found no oranges, but only yews, limes, and the indigenous green-
glass tree.

At the Grand Esplanade Gersen turned east around the bend
of the lake and presently crossed over a causeway to the Estremont,
a massive structure of silver-gray porphyry, built on four staggered
levels, surmounted by four tall towers and a central dome. At the
Justiciary Gersen made a number of inquiries, then, even more
thoughtful than before, returned to the Domus"

In his chamber he took paper and stylus and worked out a care-
ful schedule of times and events, which he pondered with care.
Then, turning to the communicator, he brought the image ofJehan