He began to consider the implications of his alliance with the strange and amoral sorcerer of Svi-an-Fanla-Brool.

Corum had been asleep (Корум спал). Now, suddenly, he was standing upright (и тут внезапно он встал прямо). He opened his eyes (он открыл глаза).

`Welcome to my little shop (добро пожаловать в мою маленькую лавку; shop — лавка, магазин). Shool's voice came from behind him (голос Шула раздался сзади него). He turned (Корум обернулся). This time he confronted a beautiful girl of about fifteen (на этот раз он встретился лицом к лицу с красивой девушкой лет пятнадцати). The chuckle that came from the young throat was obscene (хихиканье, исходившее из юного горла = уст было неприличным/отвратительным).

Corum looked around the large room (Корум оглядел большую комнату). It was dark and it was cluttered (она была темна и загромождена /разными вещами/; to clutter — создавать суматоху; приводить в беспорядок, заваливать /чем-либо/). All manner of plants and stuffed animals filled it (всевозможные растения и чучела наполняли ее; stuffed animal — чучело; to stuff — набивать, заполнять, запихивать). Books and manuscripts teetered on crazily leaning shelves (книги и рукописи качались/пошатывались на сильно наклонившихся полках; crazy — ненормальный; шаткий, разваливающийся; shelf). There were crystals of a peculiar colour and cut (там были кристаллы необычного цвета и огранки; cut — разрез, отрезок; форма, очертание), bits of armour, jewelled swords (куски доспехов, украшенные драгоценными камнями мечи), rotting sacks from which treasure, as well as other, nameless, substances, spilled (гниющие мешки, из которых сокровища, а также другие неизвестные вещества сыпались; to spill — проливать/ся/, рассыпать/ся/). There were paintings and figurines (картины и статуэтки), an assortment of instruments and gauges including balances (множество инструментов и приборов, включая весы; assortment — ассортимент, ряд, набор; gauge — мера, размер; измерительный прибор) and what appeared to be clocks with eccentric divisions marked in languages Corum did not know (и /предмет/, похожий на часы со смещенными от центра делениями, /размеченными/ на языках, которые Корум не знал; eccentric — странный, необычайный; смещенный от центра). Living creatures scuffled among the piles or chittered in corners (/какие-то/ живые существа шуршали среди груд /вещей/ и пищали в углах; to scuffle — драться; ходить шаркая ногами; to chitter — чирикать). The place stank of dust and mould and death (это место воняло тленом, плесенью и смертью; to stink; dust — пыль; прах, тлен).

beautiful ['bju:tfl] crystal [krstl] treasure ['tre] gauges ['ez] eccentric [k'sentrk] language ['laew] mould [muld]

Corum had been asleep. Now, suddenly, he was standing upright. He opened his eyes.

`Welcome to my little shop. Shool's voice came from behind him. He turned. This time he confronted a beautiful girl of about fifteen. The chuckle that came from the young throat was obscene.

Corum looked around the large room. It was dark and it was cluttered. All manner of plants and stuffed animals filled it. Books and manuscripts teetered on crazily leaning shelves. There were crystals of a peculiar colour and cut, bits of armour, jewelled swords, rotting sacks from which treasure, as well as other, nameless, substances, spilled. There were paintings and figurines, an assortment of instruments and gauges including balances and what appeared to be clocks with eccentric divisions marked in languages Corum did not know. Living creatures scuffled among the piles or chittered in corners. The place stank of dust and mould and death.

`You do not, I should think, attract many customers (ты, следует думать = видимо, не привлекаешь много покупателей), Corum said.

Shool sniffed (Шул /презрительно/ фыркнул).

`There are not many I should desire to serve (не многих я пожелал бы обслуживать). Now… In his young girl's form, he went to a chest (в своем обличье юной девушки он подошел к сундуку) that was partially covered by the shining skins of a beast that must have been large and fierce in life (который был частично накрыт блестящими шкурами зверя, бывшего, должно быть, большим и свирепым при жизни). He pushed away the skins and muttered something over the chest (он отодвинул шкуры и пробормотал что-то над сундуком). Of its own accord, the lid flew back (сама по себе, крышка откинулась; to fly — летать; быстро перемещаться). A cloud of black stuff rose from within and Shool staggered away a pace or two (облако черной пыли поднялось изнутри, и Шул отпрянул, покачнувшись, на шаг-два; to stagger — шататься; идти шатаясь), waving his hands and screaming in a strange speech (отмахиваясь руками и крича на странном языке). The black cloud vanished (черного облако исчезло). Cautiously, Shool approached the chest and peered in (Шул осторожно приблизился к сундуку и заглянул внутрь). He smacked his lips in satisfaction (он причмокнул губами удовлетворенно). `…here we are (а вот и мы = то, что надо)!

partially ['p: l] fierce [fs] cautiously [k:sl]

`You do not, I should think, attract many customers, Corum said.

Shool sniffed.

`There are not many I should desire to serve. Now… In his young girl's form, he went to a chest that was partially covered by the shining skins of a beast that must have been large and fierce in life. He pushed away the skins and muttered something over the chest. Of its own accord, the lid flew back. A cloud of black stuff rose from within and Shool staggered away a pace or two, waving his hands and screaming in a strange speech. The black cloud vanished. Cautiously, Shool approached the chest and peered in. He smacked his lips in satisfaction. `…here we are!

He drew out two sacks, one smaller than the other (он вытащил два мешка, один меньше другого). He held them up, grinning at Corum (он поднял их, ухмыляясь Коруму).

`Your gifts (твои дары).

`I thought you were going to restore my hand and my eye (я думал, ты собираешься восстановить мне руку и глаз; to restore — восстанавливать; возвращать на прежнее место).

`Not «restore» exactly (не совсем восстановить). I am going to give you a much more useful gift than that (я собираюсь дать тебе намного более полезный дар, чем это). Have you heard of the Lost Gods (ты слышал об Исчезнувших Богах)?

`I have not (нет).

`The Lost Gods who were brothers (об Исчезнувших Богах, которые были братьями)? Their names were Lord Rhynn and Lord Kwll (их имена были Господин Ринн и Господин Кулл). They existed even before I came to grace the universe (они существовали даже до того, как я пришел, чтобы украсить эту вселенную /своим присутствием/; to grace — украшать; удостаивать, награждать). They became involved in a struggle of some kind, the nature of which is now obscured (они ввязались в некую борьбу, природа которой теперь неясна; to obscure — затемнять; скрывать, делать неясным /смысл, значение и т. д. /). They vanished, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, I do not know (они исчезли, либо добровольно, либо вопреки своей воле, я не знаю). But they left a little of themselves behind (но они оставили немного после себя). He held up the sacks again (он снова поднял мешки). `These (/вот/ эти).

useful ['ju:sfl] universe ['ju:nv: s] voluntarily ['vlnt rl]

He drew out two sacks, one smaller than the other. He held them up, grinning at Corum.

`Your gifts.

`I thought you were going to restore my hand and my eye.

`Not «restore» exactly. I am going to give you a much more useful gift than that. Have you heard of the Lost Gods?

`I have not.

`The Lost Gods who were brothers? Their names were Lord Rhynn and Lord Kwll. They existed even before I came to grace the universe. They became involved in a struggle of some kind, the nature of which is now obscured. They vanished, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, I do not know. But they left a little of themselves behind. He held up the sacks again. `These.