The Riftwar Legacy: The Complete 4-Book Collection. Raymond E. Feist

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СКАЧАТЬ them seemed to shimmer. Suddenly they were in a different room. ‘Where are we?’ asked Gorath.

      ‘Malac’s Cross.’ James crossed to open the door and peered out. ‘We are in a building owned by friends of the Prince, and I had best lead, else you may find your head split before you can identify yourself.’

      They were on the second floor of a building. As they descended the stairs, a monk in plain grey robes turned a corner and stared openmouthed at them. ‘Ah –’ he began.

      James held up his hand. ‘Tell Abbot Graves we’re here, brother.’

      The monk turned and hurried off to do as he was bid. James led them into what had obviously once been the common room of an inn. A large man with a short, grey-shot beard hurried over and said, ‘Jimmy, you scoundrel! What is all this?’ He indicated Gorath and Owyn.

      ‘Hello, Ethan. A person of some consequence desires to see us quickly on our way to the east, and back again. Using that Tsurani device was our fastest start.’

      ‘So you come from Krondor?’

      James nodded yes. ‘Have you horses we might borrow?’

      ‘No, but I’ll send a brother over to Yancy’s stable and get three. Care to tell me what this is about?’

      ‘No,’ said James. ‘Trust me.’

      The man named Ethan Graves said, ‘We go back a long way, together, lad, to darker days when I was another man. But while I hold your master in high regard, my loyalty now lies exclusively with the temple. If this is some matter of concern to the Temple of Ishap, you should tell me.’

      James shrugged. ‘If I can, I will, but at this point all I have is conjecture and speculation. Still, let me say that it’s time to be wary.’

      Graves laughed. ‘We are always wary. Why else buy this inn and turn it into an abbey on the fly?’

      ‘Are things … well?’

      Graves said, ‘Go see yourself. You know the spot.’

      ‘Will you have horses ready when we return?’

      ‘And whatever else you need.’

      ‘Just horses. We have our necessaries in hand.’ He indicated the packs they carried.

      He removed his pack and said to the others, ‘Come with me. We’ll be back for these in an hour.’

      They left the inn and Owyn looked over his shoulder. It was a modest building, two storeys tall, with a stabling yard, a pair of outbuildings near the barn, and a storage shed. It sat on the outskirts of a modest-looking town, which stretched off to the east. Monks of Ishap were hard at work replacing the wooden fence around the end of the property with stone.

      ‘What is all this?’ asked Gorath as they walked southward, down a path through some woodlands.

      ‘An abandoned inn, which has been taken over by the Temple of Ishap. They are converting it to an abbey.’

      ‘To what ends?’ asked Gorath.

      ‘There’s something not too far from here they wish to keep an eye on.’

      ‘Which is?’ asked Owyn.

      ‘Something neither of you needs to know about.’

      They walked for about ten minutes along a path through the woods. They reached a clearing and Gorath halted, momentarily startled by what he saw. Rising up before them was a statue, perfect in detail, of a recumbent dragon, its head upon the ground, its wings unfolding as if it was just about to rise up.

      ‘What is this?’ asked the dark elf. He walked around it, inspecting it closely.

      ‘This is the Oracle of Aal,’ said James. He indicated a votive offering plate on the ground before the dragon.

      Owyn said, ‘I thought it but a legend.’

      ‘Like many legends, one based in truth,’ said James. He motioned to the plate. ‘Toss in a coin and touch the dragon.’

      Owyn fished out a silver coin from his pouch and tossed it into the plate. A moment before it touched the surface of the plate, the coin vanished. Owyn reached out and touched the dragon …

      

      And was someplace else. It was a large chamber; immense was more accurate, thought Owyn. Air moved in the chamber with the stately leisure of ages, and before Owyn reared up a dragon of gigantic proportions, the head resting upon the ground larger than the largest waggon Owyn had ever seen. The creature’s body was resplendent with gems of all hues. Diamonds predominated, but emeralds, sapphires, rubies and opals formed patterns that swirled on the dragon’s back, and made her look as though she wore a shimmering rainbow. It was hard to look away.

      ‘I’m asleep?’ asked Owyn.

      ‘In a fashion. But quickly, you tread a dangerous path. What would you ask of the Oracle of Aal?’

      ‘I find myself caught up in something I don’t understand, yet I feel compelled to continue with my companions. Is this wise?’

      ‘At journey’s end you shall not be as you are now, nor may you ever return the way you have come. The days ahead of you are filled with hardship and many times to come you will think yourself less significant than you truly are.’

      ‘Can I trust the moredhel, Gorath?’

      ‘He is more than even he knows himself to be. Trust him, though he will not always trust himself. He will become a great champion, even to those who curse his name and will never know of his greatness.’

      Suddenly Owyn felt his knees go weak and he faltered. Strong hands grabbed him, holding him upright. He blinked and was again standing before the statue. ‘What?’

      ‘Are you all right?’ asked Gorath. ‘You touched the statue and seemed to falter.’

      ‘I was someplace else,’ said Owyn. ‘How long was I gone?’

      ‘Gone?’ said Gorath. ‘You weren’t gone. You but touched the statue and staggered slightly, then I grabbed your arm.’

      ‘It seemed longer,’ said Owyn.

      ‘It happens that way, sometimes,’ said James, touching the stone. He withdrew his hand a moment later. ‘Who gets to speak to the Oracle is the Oracle’s choice. What did she say to you?’

      Owyn glanced at Gorath and James. ‘Only that I must trust … you both.’

      ‘Did the Oracle say anything useful?’ asked James, gripping Owyn by the arm.

      ‘Only that the days ahead are filled with hardship.’

      Gorath snorted in contempt. ‘As if we need an oracle to tell us that.’

      James said, ‘Let’s get back to the abbey and see if our horses are ready. We still have a fair ride ahead.’

      ‘Where СКАЧАТЬ