"Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman - Deathgate Cycle 2 - Elven Star" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weis Margaret)

high ceilings and numerous windows and the magical system of flutterfans, at
least one in every room. The living rooms were on the second floor and were
open and beautifully furnished. Drawn shades darkened and cooled them during
bright hours of the cycle. During stormtime, the shades were raised to catch
the refreshing, rain-drenched breezes.

Calandra's younger brother, Paithan, sat in a rocking chair near the desk. He
rocked lazily back and forth, a palm fan in his hand, and watched the rotation
of the swans' wings above his sister's head. Several other fans were visible
to him from the

*5»

• 6*

WEIS AND HICKMAN

Elve n Star

• 7*

study—the fan in the living room and beyond that the fan in the dining area.
He watched them all waft through the air and between the rhythmic flutter of
the wings and the clicking of the beads of the abacus and the gentle creaking
of his chair, he fell into an almost hypnotic trance.

A violent explosion that shook the three-level house jolted Paithan upright.

"Damn," he said, looking irritably at a fine sifting of plaster' that was
falling from the ceiling into his iced drink.

His sister snorted and said nothing. She had paused to blow

plaster off the page of the ledger, but did not miss a figure. A

wail of terror could be heard, coming from the level down below.

"That'll be the new scullery maid," said Paithan, rising to his

feet. "I better go and comfort her, tell her it's only father—"

"You'll do no such thing," snapped Calandra, neither raising her head nor
ceasing to write. "You'll sit right there and wait until I'm finished so that
we can go over your next trip norinth. It's little enough you do to earn your
keep, idling about with your noble friends, doing Orn knows what. Besides, the
new girl's a human and an ugly one at that."

Calandra returned to her addition and subtraction. Paithan subsided
good-naturedly back into his chair.