"Zelazny, Roger - Amber Short Stories 02 - Salesman's Tale" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zelazny Roger)

that should soon wash away.

Achieving the summit, I rushed to its opening on all
fours and entered feet first, hanging, then dropping
into the dark interior despite the presence of a
ladder. Haste was all. Not until I stood within that
shadowy blueness, still puffing, did I feel at all
safe. As soon as I caught my breath I allowed myself
to laugh. I had done it. I had escaped the Pattern.
I walked about the chamber beating upon my thighs and
slapping the walls. A victory such as this tasted
good, and I would not let it pass unmarked. I hustled
back to the larder, located a bottle of wine, opened
it, and took a drink. Then I repaired to a side cavern
which still contained a sleeping bag, seated myself
upon it, and continued to chuckle as I reenacted in my
mind our experience there at the primal Pattern. My
lady Nayda had been so magnificent. So had Merlin, for
that matter. Now…

I wondered whether the Pattern really held grudges.
That is, how long would it be before it was safe to me
to go forth without feeling in imminent peril? No real
way to tell. Unfortunate. Still, the Pattern must have
too much to occupy it to behave in any manner similar
to those people who hung about in its vicinity--i.e.,
Amberites. Mustn't it? I took another drink. I might be
here for a long time.

I would use a spell to alter my appearance, I decided.
When I left here I would have dark hair and a beard
(over the beginnings of a real beard), gray eyes, a
straight nose, higher cheekbones, and a smaller chin.
I would seem taller and a lot thinner. I would switch
from my usual bright ones to dark garments. Not just
some light, cosmetic spell either. It would have to be
a strong one, with depth and substance to it.

Musing upon this, I got up and went in search of food.
I found some tinned beef and biscuits, and I used a
small spell to heat a can of soup. No, that was not a
violation of the physical laws of the place. The
crystal walls block sendings in and out, but my spells
came in with me and operated as normal in the
interior.

Eating, I thought again of Nayda, of Merlin, and of
Coral. Whatever was happening to them--good or bad--time
was favoring them in getting it done. Even if I stayed
here for but a short while developments back home