"Anthony, Piers - Adept - 02 - Blue Adept" - читать интересную книгу автора (Anthony Piers)

viding him time to reconsider, so that Stile could change
his mind and yield the issue without suffering humiliation
in the field. It was a decent gesture, especially when cou-
pled with the agreement to let Neysa enter the general
competition if she wanted to. Stile knew she could perform
the typical unicorn maneuvers as well as any in the herd,
and this would give her the chance to prove it at last. She
had suffered years of shame; now she could publicly vindi-
cate herself. "A fortnight," he agreed.

The Stallion extended his hand, and Stile took it. His
own hand was engulfed by the huge and calloused extrem-
ity with hooflike nails. Stile fought off his automatic re-
sentment and feeling of inadequacy. He was not inade-
quate, and the Stallion was being honorable. It was a fair
compromise.

The Stallion shifted back to his natural form. He blew
another chord on his horn. The unicorn circle opened. Stile
began to feel lighter. His body faded. His spells were re-
turning, as the anti-magic power of the unicorns diffused.
That also was worth noting: his spells had never ceased
operating, they had merely been damped out temporarily.

Neysa stepped forward hesitantly. "The Stallion invites
thee to participate in the Unolympics in two weeks," Stile
told her as he mounted.

She was so surprised she almost shifted into girl-form,
which would have been awkward for him at the moment.

She blew a querying note, hardly daring to believe the
news. But the Stallion made a chord of affirmation.

"And I will go there too, to meet the Stallion on the field
of honor," Stile added, as though this were an after-
thought.

This time she did change shape. Stile found himself rid-
ing the girl-form piggy-back, his legs around her tiny waist.
Hastily he dismounted. "NayЧ" she said.

"Neigh indeedl If I weren't invisible and featherlight,
thou wouldst have been borne to the ground by my weight
in most indelicate fashion. Get back to thy proper form,
marel"

Hastily she complied. He remounted, and she galloped
away from the herd. It seemed that none of the unicorns
had noticed anythingЧuntil one mocking saxophone peal