"Anthony Piers - Ogre Ogre" - читать интересную книгу автора (Anthony Piers)

Chapter 1. Nightmare

Tandy tried to sleep, but it was difficult The
demon had never actually entered her private bedroom, but
she was afraid that one night he would. This night she was
alone; therefore she worried.

Her father Crombie was a rough soldier who had no
truck with demons. But he was away most of the time,
guarding the King at Castle Roogna. Crombie was fun
when he was home, but that was rare. He claimed to hate
women, but had married a nymph, and tolerated no inter-
ference by other males. Tandy remained a child in his eyes;

his hand would have hovered ominously near his sword if
he even suspected any demon was bothering her. If only he
were here.

Her mother Jewel was on a late mission, planting orange
sapphires in a stratum near the surface. It was a long way
away, so she rode the Diggle-worm, who could tunnel
through rock without leaving a hole. They would be back
after midnight. That meant several more hours, and Tandy
was afraid.

She turned over, wrapped the candy-striped sheet about
her in an uncomfortable tangle, and put the pink pillow
over her head. It didn't help; she still feared the demon.
His name was Fiant, and he could dematerialize at will.
That meant he could walk through walls.

The more Tandy thought about that, the less she trusted
the walls of her room. She was afraid that any unwatched
wall would permit the demon to pass through. She rolled
over, sat up, and peered at the walls. No demon.

2 Ogre, Ogre

She had met Fiant only a few Weeks ago, by accident.
She had been playing with some large, round, blue rubies,
rejects from her mother's barrelЧrubies were supposed to
be redЧand one had rolled down a passage near the de-
mons' rum works. She had run right into a rum wrap a
demon was using, tearing it so that it became a bum wrap.
She had been afraid the demon would be angry, but instead
he had simply looked at her with a half-secret half-smileЧ
and that had been worse. Thereafter that demon had shown
up with disturbing frequency, always looking at her as if
something demoniacally special was on his mind. She was
not so naive as to be in doubt about the nature of his