Виктор Пахомов – Sherlock Holmes: The Gate of Oblivion. Volume 1 (страница 5)

«We can’t stay here long,» Holmes said, without looking up from the drawings.«The Order of the Spider has already penetrated these holes. If Moriarty – or whoever calls himself by his name – is looking for the Orb, he will come here.

«But Kaelia said that the caves are safe!» – Elyan objected. – Salt extinguishes any search spells.

– Magic – yes. But it does not extinguish logic.Gurd was just a small fry. A real spider does not pull the threads itself; it creates conditions under which the victim itself crawls into the trap.

Holmes pointed to a point on the map – the capital of Aethor.

– We need to go to the Library of Magicians. If the Orb in my chest is the key, I must find the lock. Elian, you said that your order is there.Can you guide me through the city gates?

The young man hesitated, rubbing the scar on his side.

«Hollows are not allowed into Aethor, Sherlock.«Mana Inquisitors stand at the entrances.They sense the absence of the Spark a mile away. We’ll be arrested before we see the spiers of the first tower.

«The inquisitors are looking for magic,» Holmes looked up, and cold excitement flashed in his eyes.«And we will offer them something that their senses cannot classify.«Master Kaelia!

The woman entered the niche, as if sensing that the conversation was about her.In her hands she held a small bundle of thick leather. «Are you going to leave?» It was not a question, but a statement. Kaelia placed the package on the table.«I cannot hold you back, although your mind would be the greatest treasure for our people.»

«Truth requires movement, Master,» Holmes replied. – Stagnation is death for the mind.

Kaelia slowly unwrapped the package.Inside lay a ring of dull gray metal, adorned with a single stone that seemed to suck in the light around it.

– This is my mother’s ring.It was created in a time when magicians and the mediocre were not yet enemies.It does not provide magic, but it does create an «etheric echo".To any Inquisitor, you will look like a magician with a very weak, barely noticeable talent.

Holmes took the ring, studying it through the lens.

– False trail.Deception of feelings.Very practical.

«He has a price,» Kaelia lowered her voice.«The ring feeds on your life force.For an ordinary person, it is fatal after a week of wearing it. But you… you have the Sphere. I hope she can balance this exchange.

Holmes put the ring on his little finger. He felt a slight, barely noticeable tingling sensation, which was immediately replaced by cold confidence.The sphere in his chest responded with a short, heavy jolt.

«We have three days’ journey to Aetor,» Holmes stood up, throwing on his traveling cloak. – Elyan, gather supplies. We leave at dawn.Master, thank you for your hospitality.And I advise you to change all the codes to the Seal of Blood.Gurd may not have been the only one to sell his loyalty for the promise of a miracle.

In the morning, when the Silver Moon began to fade, Holmes and Elyan left the caves.The path lay through the Great Plains, an open space where the wind smelled of ozone and burnt grass.The outlines of Aetor, a city that literally floated in the sky, held by colossal magical chains, had already begun to appear on the horizon. The Great Plains were not as deserted as Holmes expected.The road, paved with slabs of white stone that glowed in the twilight, was filled with caravans and travelers. Here Holmes first saw the entire social ladder of Eldria.

The soaring carriages of aristocrats, «ethereal gondolas,» rushed past them, leaving behind a trail of blue sparks.Along the edges of the road wandered the Outlaws and workers, whose faces were gray from the «ethereal dust.«The gap between those who had the Spark and those who were deprived of it was felt here more acutely than the gap between the London slums and the mansions of Mayfair.

«Look at this carriage, Elian,» Holmes pointed with his cane at a carriage flying past, decorated with a coat of arms in the form of a crying eye.«She spends about forty percent of her energy creating decorative fog under the bottom.This is blatant inefficiency.

– But this is a question of status! – Elian was surprised. – The magician from the house of Liar cannot afford to travel without fog.This is a sign of purity of mana.

«Status is an illusion that is paid for with real resources,» Holmes retorted.«Your society is built on a foundation of fragile glass. Once the magic begins to dry up, all this architectural pride will collapse under its own weight.

Closer to noon, they approached the «Silver Arch» – the first gate leading to the foot of the city. Here the Road narrowed, and a group of armored guards checked everyone who entered.In their hands they had long staffs with crystals attached to the ends.

«Inquisitors of Order,» Elian whispered, lowering his head. – Don’t look them in the eyes, Sherlock.They may feel doubtful.

Holmes, on the other hand, straightened his shoulders.

– Doubt is the privilege of those who do not know the facts.Follow me and be silent. If they ask about my origins, I will be a «lost explorer from the Western colonies.»

As they approached the post, the massive guard aimed the crystal of his staff straight at Holmes’ chest.The stone glowed for a moment with a dull, steady green light. Kaelia’s ring worked. The guard frowned, peering at the crystal’s readings.

«Strange resonance,» he said in a deep voice, turning his gaze to Holmes.«Your mana… it sounds like steel hitting stone.«Which House are you from, traveler?

Holmes met the guard’s gaze, giving his face an expression of extreme boredom that he usually reserved for Scotland Yard inspectors.

– House Werner, western limits. We are engaged in the classification of anomalous zones. If you want to delay us for a full inspection, I will demand compensation for every hour of downtime of my tools.And they cost more than this entire post along with your armor.

Holmes opened his case slightly, revealing rows of glass retorts and brass utensils.To a guard accustomed to glowing stones, these complex mechanisms looked like something incredibly powerful and dangerous.

«Come in,» muttered the guard, taking his staff away. – Another crazy alchemist. Just don’t blow up anything in the Lower City.

As they passed the archway, Elyan wiped the sweat from his brow.

– How do you do this? You lied to his face and he didn’t even doubt it!

«I didn’t lie, Elyan.«I simply presented him with facts that he could not interpret correctly.Alchemy is a science, and science always seems like magic to the ignorant.

They began to climb the spiral ramp leading to Lower Aetor.The city hung over them like a colossal shadow. Here, at the foot of the towers, eternal twilight reigned.Thick purple smoke poured out of the pipes going into the sky – waste from magical reactors.

Suddenly Holmes stopped. His attention was drawn to a piece of paper taped to the wall of one of the shops. A small, barely noticeable spider was drawn on it.And under it, in firm calligraphic handwriting, was written a phrase in English:

«Welcome to the web, Sherlock. Mind your steps.»

Holmes closed his eyes, and for a moment his face became frighteningly cold.

– He knows I’m here.And he has already started the game. – What is written there? – Elyan came closer, trying to make out the strange signs. – Is this a Forsworn code?

«This is an invitation to a dance, Elian,» Holmes tore off the piece of paper and hid it in his pocket. – Moriarty is not just here. He inserted himself into the very structure of this city.This spider has woven its web of gold, magic and ambition.

They entered Lower Aetor. Here the streets were narrow, lined with smugglers’ shops and dens where the Forsworn smoked «etherroot» in an attempt to recapture some trace of their lost magic. Holmes walked through the crowd, his gaze constantly taking in details: the tattoos on the mercenaries’ arms, the type of crystals in the street lamps, the direction of the gutters.

«We need a place to stay,» said Holmes.«The kind where the fewest questions are asked and where the most rumors are in the air.»

«The Blind Sphinx Tavern,» answered Elyan. – Those who do not like the light of the Inquisition gather there. But this is a dangerous place.

«Danger is just a lack of control over the situation,» Holmes snapped. – Lead the way. We need to find out who in this city speaks on behalf of the Spider.

As they walked, Holmes felt the Sphere in his chest begin to heat up.She was reacting to the proximity of something colossal. Raising his head, he saw the center of the city – the Temple of Light, surrounded by three rotating rings of mana.

«If I want to understand this world, I must get into its brain,» Holmes whispered.«And the brain of this city is the Royal Library.»

In the sky above them, the Silver Moon reached its zenith, and for a moment its cold light illuminated the detective’s face. He was no longer a refugee from another world. He was a hunter who was finally on the trail of a beast worthy of his mind. CHAPTER 5. SEAL OF THE SPIDER

The Blind Sphinx Tavern fully lived up to its name.It was a squat building made of porous dark stone, the windows of which were covered with cloudy mica, which did not let in light, but perfectly kept heavy odors inside.There was twilight inside, diluted only by the dim glow of magical lichens hanging from the ceiling like rotten rags.