[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.Even if they could find the Metal Mage, Artek knew that Trobriand would not help them.Tin sorry, Squch," Artek said carefully."I'd like to help you, but we don't have time right now.If you let us go, we'll come back later and-""Stop!" the scaladar cried."You underestimate my intelligence, soft one.You cannot deceive me with your transparent lies.If you will not freely tell me what you know, I will find another way to learn it." Squch waved a claw at the silversanns.Take these foolish soft ones to your laboratory.Extract what knowledge you can from their heads.Once you have it, you may do whatever you wish with the rest of them."The silversanns cluttered excitedly at this news.They snaked past the glowering thanatars and coiled their smooth antennae around the prisoners.Before Artek could protest to Squch, the silversanns dragged him and the others out of the cavern and down a dark tunnel.The prisoners tried to break free of the metallic strands that gripped them, but it was no use.The antennae were as strong as steel wire.The silversanns took them to a dim chamber and dropped them on the floor.One of the creatures shut and locked a heavy iron door-so much for the only visible route of escape.The chamber of the silversanns was filled with all manner of clutter: clay pots, cracked vials, broken staves, moldering books, and countless metal tools of inexplicable function.All lay carelessly strewn about or heaped into haphazard piles that seemed to have no obvious rhyme or reason.The silversanns gathered at one end of the chamber, speaking in sibilant whispers.Evidently, they were trying to decide how to extract the knowledge of their new ssspecimens, Artek thought grimly.Corin sighed glumly, sitting slump-shouldered on the cold stone floor."I'm sorry, everyone," the young lord said ruefully, "This is all my fault.We wouldn't be in this scrape if I hadn't gone and dashed off into the forest like such a dolt." He looked up at Artek with sad blue eyes."You were right, you know.And so was my father.I can't do anything well.But you needn't worry.I've learned my lesson.I won't try to help ever again." He sighed deeply."I apologize for getting you into this, Ar'talen.For your sake, I hope you can get me to Darien Thai and force him to have that tattoo fixed.But for my part, I don't care if I ever see the surface again."The nobleman hung his head and fell silent.Guss gazed at him with worried green eyes, cradling Muragh in his clawed hands.Beckla shot a sharp look at Artek.It was clear she wanted him to say something.Artek just shook his head.Everything he had said before had been thoughtless and cruel.What could he say now that wouldn't simply cause more damage? It was better if he simply remained silent.With a sound of exasperation, Beckla stood up.The silversanns were still engaged in a secret debate, and the wizard took the opportunity to poke around in the heaps of clutter surrounding them."Look at all this stuff," she said in sudden amazement."What is it?" Muragh asked.She rummaged through one of the piles."Broken wizard staves.Shattered wands.Cracked potion vials.Old spellbooks." The wizard looked up in wonder."It's all magical paraphernalia."Artek quickly stood."Is there something that might be able to help us?"Beckla frowned."I'm not sure.Pretty much all of it seems to be broken or damaged.But there might be something of interest here…"She kept searching, and the others joined her.As far as Artek could tell, all of the items-staves, rods, magical crystals-seemed to have been deliberately smashed.Perhaps the silversanns had damaged the objects while trying to study them.Even a roomful of magical artifacts would do them no good if all were broken.Just then, Guss let out a grunt of surprise.With a claw, he plucked something gold and glittering from one of the piles."Beckla, take a look at this.I'm not sure, but it looks to me as if it's-"At that moment, the silversanns ended their debate and slithered toward them.Guss cut his words short, thrusting the object behind his back.The five prisoners stared apprehensively as the metallic creatures drew near."Decided then are we, yeses?" one of the silversanns asked the others, the small pit of its mouth dilating and contracting to form the syllables."Yeses, yeses," answered another."More learn we mussst, before gain can we knowledge theirsss."The first silversann undulated forward, brushing Artek with its cold antennae [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

zanotowane.pl

doc.pisz.pl

pdf.pisz.pl

listy-do-eda.opx.pl