Мор - ученик смерти

           ’Youdon’tknowhowlongI’vebeenlookingforwardtothat,’hesaid.

           Therewasavillageinalowervalleyafewmilesfromthetemple,whichactedasasortofserviceindustry.Fromtheairitwasarandomscatteringofsmallbutextremelywell-soundproofedhuts.

           ’Anywherewilldo,’theabbotsaid.Mortlefthimstandingafewfeetabovethesnowatapointwherethehutsappearedtobethickest.

           ’Hopethenextlifetimeimproves,’hesaid.Theabbotshrugged.

           ’Onecanalwayshope,’hesaid.’Igetanine-monthbreak,anyway.Thesceneryisn’tmuch,butatleastit’sinthewarm.’

           ’Goodbye,then,’saidMort.’I’vegottorush.’

           ’Aurevoir,’saidtheabbot,sadly,andturnedaway.

           ThefiresoftheHubLightswerestillcastingtheirflickeringilluminationacrossthelandscape.Mortsighed,andreachedforthethirdglass.

           Thecontainerwassilver,decoratedwithsmallcrowns.Therewashardlyanysandleft.

           Mort,feelingthatthenighthadthrowneverythingathimandcouldn’tgetanyworse,turneditaroundcarefullytogetaglimpseofthename....

           PrincessKeliawoke.

           Therehadbeenasoundlikesomeonemakingnonoiseatall.