"(ebook) Anthony Piers - Xanth 12 - Man from Mundania" - читать интересную книгу автора (Anthony Piers)

Fortunately there was a hot spring nearby. The three
plunged inЧonly to indulge in a fury of splash-fighting,

Man from Mundania 7

with piercing screams, while Stanley prowled in a circle
around them, ready to help steam them clean. If it hadn't
been for him, every predator in the region would have
been there, attracted by the delicious sounds of shrieking
nymphs.
It was fun, being girls.

They camped for the night in a nest of pillows within
the circle formed by Stanley, who curled around and caught
his tail in his mouth. Ivy had told him the story of Uro-
borus, the giant serpent who circled the Mundane world
(which it seemed was round) and grasped its own tail, and
Stanley liked the notion, so now he slept that way himself.
He was long, but really not that long; he could not hope
to circle the world. It didn't matter, because he was only
doing it for the feel of it. Meanwhile, they were quite safe,
which was the point.

When they got tired of walking, they took turns riding
on Stanley. It was an art to remain perched while he
whomped along, but they had had time to practice it. First
the rider would be low, then riding high, then low again.
Wheee! Electra took special joy in this, not ashamed to
yield to her juvenile impulses. Ivy and Nada, being more
mature (and in dresses), were obliged to pretend that it
really wasn't all that special.

As they approached Corn-Pewter's cave, they paused for
a consultation. "Should we try to hide our identities from
him?" Ivy asked. Com-Pewter was really an "it" but it
was easier to ascribe masculine evil, so they called it
"he."

"He'll never be fooled," Nada said. "He'll know we
didn't come here just to giggle."

"But maybe if we can hide our talentsЧ"

Nada shrugged. "We can try. But I don't think it will
work. He certainly knows about Ivy."

"Unless he's overconfident, so doesn't check, andЧ"
Ivy's eyes flicked meaningfully toward Electra.