"Roger Zelazny & Fred Saberhagen - The Black Throne" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zelazny Roger)

 - Chapter 1

"That's my name," said the first boy, staring, as the other drew nearer.
The newcomer halted a pace later and they both stared. The boys resembled each other to the point of
twindom. Hair, eyes, pigmentation, physiognomy seemed identical. The resemblance extended to
posture, gestures, voice, and the school uniforms they wore.
The girl, halted in her rampage, turned her head slowly from side to side.
"I'm Annie," she said softly. "You could be brothers, or—something."
"I guess so," the newcomer acknowledged.
"So it might seem," said the first boy.
"Why were you breaking his sand castle?" the second Edgar asked.
"It's my sand castle, and he broke it," she said.
Edgar Two smiled at Edgar One, who shook his head and shrugged.
"Uh, why don't we all put it back together?" the other boy said. "I'd bet we could do an even better one
than what was there—Annie."
She smiled at him.
"All right," she said. "Let's."
They dropped to their knees about the disheveled sand heap. Annie took up a stick and began tracing
new outlines. "The central keep will be here," she began, "and I want lots of towers. . . ."
They worked in silence for a long while, both boys soon removing their shoes, also.
"Edgar . . . ?" she asked after a time.
"Yes?" the boys answered.
They all began to laugh.
"There's got to be more to it than that," she said to the first boy, "if I'm to tell you apart."
"Allan," he replied. "I'm Edgar Allan."
"I'm Perry—Edgar Perry," said the second boy.
The boys stared at each other again.
"I've never seen you anywhere around here before," Perry said then. "You visiting or something?"
"I go to school," Allan replied, gesturing with his head in the direction of the small bluff he had
descended.
"What school?" Perry asked.
"Manor House School. It's just up that way."
Perry's broad forehead creased and he shook his head slowly.
"I don't know it," he said. "But I don't really know this area. I go to a school called Manor also—though
I don't know you from there. I was just out walking. . . ." He glanced at Annie, who had turned her head
as Allan spoke, as if noticing the hill for the first time. "Do you?" he said to her.
"I don't know either school," she said. "But this area is mine—I mean, it's very familiar."
"It's interesting you both have American accents," Allan observed.
At this, both of them stared at him.
"Why shouldn't we?" Annie said then. "You do, too."
"Where do you live?" Perry asked suddenly.


file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Nieuwe%20map/Zelazny,%20Ro...20Fred%20-%20The%20Black%20Throne/0743435796___1.htm (4 of 10)6-1-2007 13:29:31
 - Chapter 1

"Charleston," she said.
He shifted from foot to foot.
"There's something peculiar about this," he said. "I was having a dream this morning before I came
walking here, before I found this place—"