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

troubled."

"Indeed I am."

"You wish to come through?"

"If it is appropriate and convenient."

"Certainly."

She extended her hand. I reached forward, taking it
lightly in my own, as her studio came clear, banishing
gray skies and crystal hill, I took a step toward her
and I was there. Immediately, I dropped to my knees,
unclasped my swordbelt and offered her my blade. In the
distance, I could hear sounds of hammering and sawing.

"Rise," she said, touching my shoulder. "Come and be
seated. Have a cup of tea with me."

I got to my feet and followed her to a table in the
corner. She took off her dusty apron and hung it on a
peg on the wall. As she prepared the tea I regarded
the small army of statues which lined one wall and
bivouacked in random cluster about the enormous
room-large, small, realistic, impressionistic,
beautiful, grotesque. She worked mainly in clay,
though a few smaller ones were of stone and there
were furnaces at the room's far end, though these were
cold now. Several metal mobiles of unusual shape were
suspended from ceiling beams.

When she joined me again she reached out and touched
my left hand, locating the ring she had given me.

"Yes, I value the Queen's protection," I said.

"Even though you are now a monarch yourself from a
country on friendly terms with us?"

"Even so," I said. "So much so, in fact, that I wish
to reciprocate in part."

"Oh?"

"I'm not at all certain that Amber is aware of recent
events to which I have been party or of which I have
knowledge, which may affect her welfare. That is,
unless Merlin has been in touch recently."