Corum became thoughtful. Should he accept Shool's disgusting gifts and risk the consequences in order to survive, slay Glandyth and rescue Rhalina? Or should he prepare to die now and end the whole business?
Shool said:
`Think of the knowledge these gifts will bring you. Think of the things you will see on your travels. No mortal has ever been to the domain of the Knight of the Swords before! You can add much to your wisdom, Master Corum. And remember — it is the Knight who is ultimately responsible for your doom and the deaths of your folk…
Corum drew deeply of the musty air (Корум вдохнул глубоко затхлый воздух;
`Very well, I will accept your gifts (хорошо, я приму твои дары).
`I am honoured (это честь для меня;
`Continue your slumbers, Master Corum (продолжай свои сны, господин Корум), Shool said.
He was back in the room in which he had originally met Shool (он был = очнулся снова в зале, в котором сначала = впервые встретил Шула). There was a fierce pain in the socket of his blind eye (ощущалась сильная боль в глазнице его незрячего глаза). There was a terrible agony in the stump of his left hand (ужасная боль в культе левой руки;
sardonically [sR`dOnIklI] drowsy [`drauzI] agony [`xgqnI]
Corum drew deeply of the musty air. He made up his mind.
`Very well, I will accept your gifts.
`I am honoured, Shool said sardonically. He pointed a finger at Corum and Corum reeled backwards, fell among a pile of bones and tried to rise. But he felt drowsy.
`Continue your slumbers, Master Corum, Shool said.
He was back in the room in which he had originally met Shool. There was a fierce pain in the socket of his blind eye. There was a terrible agony in the stump of his left hand. He felt drained of energy. He tried to look about him, but his vision would not clear.
He heard a scream (он услышал /пронзительный/ крик). It was Rhalina.
`Rhalina! Where are you (где ты)?
`I–I am here — Corum (я здесь, Корум). What has been done to you (что с тобой сделали)? Your face — your hand…
With his right hand he reached up to touch his blind socket (правой рукой он потянулся вверх потрогать слепую = пустую глазницу). Something warm shifted beneath his fingers (что-то теплое шевельнулось под его пальцами). It was an eye (это был глаз)! But it was an eye of an unfamiliar texture and size (но это был глаз необычного строения и размера;
He saw Rhalina's horrified face (он увидел испуганное лицо Ралины;
beneath [bI`nJT] texture [`teksCq] vision [`vIZ (q) n]
He heard a scream. It was Rhalina.
`Rhalina! Where are you?
`I–I am here — Corum. What has been done to you? Your face — your hand…
With his right hand he reached up to touch his blind socket. Something warm shifted beneath his fingers. It was an eye! But it was an eye of an unfamiliar texture and size. He knew then that it was Rhynn's eye. His vision began to clear then.
He saw Rhalina's horrified face. She was sitting up in bed, her back stiff with horror.
He looked down at his left hand (он посмотрел /вниз/ на свою левую руку). It was of similar proportions to the old (она была подобна по пропорциям старой), but it was six-fingered and the skin was like that of a jewelled snake (но на ней было шесть пальцев, а кожа походила на /кожу/ украшенной драгоценностями змеи).
He staggered as he strove to accept what had happened to him (он содрогнулся, когда попытался принять/признать /то/, что произошло с ним;
`They are the Eye of Rhynn and the Hand of Kwll (это глаз Ринна и рука Кулла). They were Gods — the Lost Gods, Shool said (они были богами — исчезнувшими богами, /как/ сказал Шул). Now I am whole again, Rhalina (теперь я снова целый, Ралина).
similar [`sImIlq] accept [qk`sept] inanely [I`neInlI]
He looked down at his left hand. It was of similar proportions to the old, but it was six-fingered and the skin was like that of a jewelled snake.
He staggered as he strove to accept what had happened to him. `They are Shool's gifts, he murmured inanely.
`They are the Eye of Rhynn and the Hand of Kwll. They were Gods — the Lost Gods, Shool said. Now I am whole again, Rhalina.
`Whole? You are something more and something less than whole, Corum (какой же ты целый, Корум). Why did you accept such terrible gifts (зачем ты принял столь ужасные дары)? They are evil (они — зло). They will destroy you (они погубят тебя)!
`I accepted them so that I might accomplish the task that Shool has set me, and thus gain the freedom of us both (я принял их, чтобы выполнить задание, которое Шул назначил мне, и таким образом обрести свободу для нас обоих). I accepted them so that I might seek out Glandyth and, if possible, strangle him with this alien hand (чтобы разыскать Гландита и, если возможно, задушить его этой чужой рукой). I accepted them because if I did not accept them, I would perish (потому, что если бы я не принял их, я бы погиб).
`Perhaps (возможно), she said softly (сказала она тихо), `it would be better for us to perish (нам было бы лучше погибнуть).
`Whole? You are something more and something less than whole, Corum. Why did you accept such terrible gifts? They are evil. They will destroy you!
`I accepted them so that I might accomplish the task that Shool has set me, and thus gain the freedom of us both. I accepted them so that I might seek out Glandyth and, if possible, strangle him with this alien hand. I
