"Jack Vance - Elder Isles 0 - Suldrun's Garden" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vance Jack)

arrived at noon and Magre politely agreed to hear his declaration.
Elric spoke a mighty sermon, while Magre started the fire in his
pit. Elric expounded, recited Scripture and sang the glories of
the Faith. When he came to an end and declared his final
"Hallelujah!," Magre gave him a stoup of ale to ease his throat.
Sharpening a knife he complimented Elric upon the fervor of his
rhetoric. Then he smote off Elric's head, cut, drew, spitted,
cooked and devoured the sanctified morsel with a garnish of leeks
and cabbages. Saint Uldine attempted the baptism of a troll in the
waters of Black Meira Tarn. She was indefatigable; he raped her
four times during her efforts, until at last she despaired. In due
course she gave birth to four imps. The first of these, Ignaldus,
became father to the eery knight Sir Sacrontine who could not
sleep of nights until he had killed a Christian. Saint Uldine's
other children were Drathe, Alleia and Bazille.* In Godelia Druids
never paused in the worship of Lug the Sun, Matrona the Moon,
Adonis the Beautiful, Kernuun the Stag, Mokous the Boar, Kai the
Dark, Sheah the Graceful, and innumerable local half-gods. During
this period Olam Magnus of Lyonesse, aided by Per-silian, his so-
called "Magic Mirror," brought all the Elder Isles (excepting
Skaghane and Godelia) under his rule. Styling himself Olam I, he
enjoyed a long and prosperous reign and was succeeded by Rordec I,
Olam II, then, briefly, by the "Galician Cuckoos," Quarnitz I and
Niffith I. Then Fafhion Long-nose reasserted the old blood line.
He sired Olam III, who moved his throne Evandig and that great
table known as Cairbra an Mead-han, the "Board of Notables,"* from
Lyonesse Town to Avallon in the Duchy of Dahaut. When Olam III's
grandson Uther II fled to Britain (there to sire Uther Pendragon,
father of Arthur, King f Cornwall), the land fragmented to become
ten kingdoms: Dahaut, Lyonesse, North Ulfland, South Ulfland,
Godelia, Blaloc, Caduz, Pomperol, Dascinet and Troicinet.

*The deeds of the four have been chronicled in a rare
volume, "Saint Uldine's Children."

*The Round Table of King Arthur was later inspired by
the Cairbra an Meadhan.


file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%2...s%200%20-%20Suldrun's%20Garden%201983.html (2 of 513) [12/29/2004 12:02:32 AM]
- - - - Vance uses many footnotes in this volume



The new kings found many pretexts for contention, and the Elder
Isles entered a time of trouble. North and South Ulfland, exposed
to the Ska,* became lawless wastes, occupied by robber knights and
dire beasts. Only the Vale Evander, guarded to the east by the
castle Tintzin Fyral and to the west by the city Ys, remained a
realm of tranquility.