[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.As long as there are those like you in Waterdeep, my burdens are much lighter."Blushing at his praise, Sophraea left Lord Adarbrent to his memories.She crossed the path and circled past the Deepwinter monument.She slipped through the Dead End gate."It's a funny name," said a voice above her head.Sophraea latched the gate and looked up.Briarsting was sitting cross-legged on the snow-covered wall.The topiary dragon peered over the thorn's shoulder at the girl.One brown leaf fluttered down over a bright berry eye in a friendly wink.The big leafy ears waggled back and forth in a topiary greeting."What's wrong now?" Sophraea asked the pair."Nothing, nothing at all.Your uncles carried Rampage Stunk out with no problem.We just wanted to make certain that you reached home safely.But I was thinking Dead End House was a peculiar name for your house," Briarsting replied."Dead End House? It's always been called that.It seems very appropriate to me."Briarsting glanced at the courtyard filled with Carvers.The younger boys had swept the remaining snow into large piles.Someone had fetched the battered leather ball from the barn and so most of Sophraea's brothers, cousins, and nephews were knocking it back and forth according to their own loudly shouted rules.Leaplow kicked the ball straight through a pile of snow, incurring either a penalty or a goal, and certainly earning a pile-up of bodies all flung on top of him.Her uncles Vigilant and Sagacious were lined up watching, their arms resting on each other's shoulders.Sophraea's father shouted nonsensical instructions to his buried son while the beards of his brothers quivered with, laughter.Out of the windows, screaming just as many instructions and laughing even harder, all the aunts shook their heads over the boys' game."See," said Briarsting, standing up and brushing the snow off his seat in an unconscious imitation of Lord Adarbrent, "there's nothing dead to be found on that side of the wall.Not an end that I can see.It's too full of life, too fond of beginnings, that house of yours."He swung up to the neck ofthe topiary dragon.The pair turned and headed back into the snowy quiet of the graveyard."I'll visit you soon," Sophraea called through the gate.Briarsting gave a wave over his shoulder."I promise!"Then she turned and plunged into the game occupying the yard, kicking the ball right out from under the nose of a startled brother and sending it sailing over a pile of snow with a whooping cry of triumph.THIRTY-ONEGustin sat on a block of marble in the courtyard.It was a clear, cold day, the sun sparkling on the icicles dripping off the edge of the roof.Two Carver cats basked in the warmth on the top of a newly polished coffin.After three days of freezing cold, Sophraea's half wish was melting away.Waterdeep was sliding back to its usual warmer wet winter weather.The stone man was permanently stuck in front of the tomb.Gustin's repeated attempts to reanimate it had failed, Algozata's old curse being far stronger than any ritual that he knew.Sophraea's father joined Gustin in the yard."I'm sorry," said Gustin."I just don't have enough coin to pay the remainder of what was owed on the statue.And I haven't quite come up with a scheme to make any more.Give me a day or two, though, and I'll think of something.I usually do."Astute shrugged."I'm not worried," he said."You can pay me back with magic." "Magic?""Rituals.Whatever you want to call it.That trick that you do with stone, making the statue walk.That would save us a lot of hauling.""That one works best for me," agreed Gustin, rubbing the back of his neck."Besides working off a debt, any chance for a little more?" Gustin just had to ask.Astute crossed his arms and appeared to ponder the question for a long moment."You keep your room, you continue to eat free meals, and I don't ask you about sneaking off with my only daughter into the tunnels beneath the graveyard and who knows where else.""Ah," he mumbled.After once again assessing the truly amazing breadth of shoulders possessed by Sophraea's father, Gustin indicated that this was a fair deal indeed.The bell on the public gate jangled and Lord Adarbrent appeared in the entry."My friends
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Tematy
IndexStephen King Strefa Âœmierci (Martwa strefa) (The Dead Zone) 1979
Adrian Smith The City of Coventry; A Twentieth Century Icon (2006)
The Lost City of Z A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by Dav
Chloe T Barlow [Gateway to Lo City of Champions (epub)
City of Bones The Mortal Instru Cassandra Clare
Isaac Asimov Robot City 6 Perihelion
City of Golden Shadow Tad Williams
§ Shagan Steve Odkrycie
Popławska Halina Tryptyk rewolucyjny 01 Kwiat lilii we krwi
§ Ellroy James Underworld USA 01 Amerykański spisek