"Karl Edward Wagner - Kane 02 - Death Angels Shadow" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wagner Karl Edward)

the crawling passages of that elder world nightmare. The trail to Rader had taken him from one end of the
known world to the other--a trail that twisted, forked, vanished, and reappeared again. But he followed it
with a singleness of purpose unfamiliar even to Kane.

And almost four years after the massacre of the Satakis at Ingoldi, Orted Ak-Ceddi found himself alone
in his chambers confronting Kane. The brief, vicious struggle ended most satisfactorily for Kane, who
was able to present Orted with a curious gem-like crystal derived from the venom of the now extinct
tomb worm of Carsultyal. Embedded in his flesh, the paralyzing venom seeped through Orted's writhing
form and silently commenced an ineluctable disintegration of every nerve in his body, working from the
tiniest to the largest cords. Kane was forced to cut short his enjoyment of the fantastic contortions of
Orted's death throes, when the Prophet's guards finally broke into the chamber.

He had vaulted through the hidden passage by which he had gained entrance to Orted's private
chambers--the Prophet had not been able to learn all the secrets of his sanctuary--and fled the city
before any organized search could be formed. Since that night Kane had been pushing steadily into the
northern wastes. But his pursuers were the last of Orted's fanatics, and Kane knew that only death would
halt their relentless pursuit of the slayer of their Prophet. Their fanaticism coupled with the few sorcerous
devices left to their dying cult had brought them within sight of their quarry after hard days of searching.
And then the blizzard had given Kane respite.

His horse stumbled over some buried obstruction and half-fell to its knees. Kane fought to hold his
saddle, noticing the crackle of ice encrusted on his cloak. Gritting teeth he lurched from his mount and
helped the exhausted beast erect. The agony of forcing his nearly frozen limbs into action racked his
powerful frame, and he swayed on his benumbed feet, clutching the neck of his gasping horse for
support.

"Easy, boy," he murmured through his ice-hung beard. "Let you rest just a minute." But only a minute, he
told himself, and stamped his frozen boots, wearily brushing off the crust of ice that enclosed his body. A
bed of snow beckoned him to its softness, but he hurled aside its temptation. He would not accept defeat
this easily. He had cheated death time beyond comprehension, and if he lost here in the storm, his
adversary must take him not gracefully, but struggling blindly onward past the extremes of his power.
That this frozen elemental fury should be his doom infuriated Kane, and he glared defiantly into the
scouring wind. Frustration. His enemy now was utterly intangible--a cosmic entity that heedlessly had
engulfed him--whose massive presence now tore at him, smothered his life fire. In no way could he even
force his destroyer to take notice of his existence.

Yet it was no ordinary storm, of this Kane was certain. It was too sudden, too violent to be natural;
Kane had never encountered anything its equal even on several excursions much farther to the north. It
was a witch storm perhaps, for its abrupt ferocity hinted at sorcery. But why any sorcerous power should
summon such a blizzard in this wasteland, he could not begin to guess. Surely the Satakis had not evoked
it, for it had cheated them of their prey.

The horse whinnied fearfully, and Kane decided he had rested as long as he dared. As he remounted, his
steed started in fright. Kane sought to soothe the beast, thinking at first he had somehow startled it in
mounting. But the horse was genuinely alarmed, he quickly noted--its nostrils flared and eyes widened in
fright. Soon Kane too sensed a presence, an awareness of alien scrutiny. He gave the horse his head, and
the animal bolted forward recklessly through the storm. For a tense interval Kane felt the sensation of
pursuit, of some entity reaching for him with awful hunger; then the feeling slacked off.

As soon as he felt clear he slowed his mount's headlong flight to a safer pace. "What in the name of