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

"What thou askest for, thou hast," she said coolly.
"Thou art now the Blue Adept, the leading magician of the
realm. Only have the human wit not to offend the mare in
the presentation of thy decision."

"And how do I find the wit not to offend thee, bride of
my defunct self? Thou knowest his tastes are mine."

Blue Adept 5

She left him, not deigning to answer. Stile shrugged and
returned to the courtyard. He wanted the Lady Blue more
than anything he could imagine, and she was aware of this.
But he had to win her the right way. He had the power to
convert her by magic, but he would not use it; she knew
this too. She understood him in certain ways better than he
understood himself, for she had experienced the love of his
other self. She could handle him, and she did so.

Clip and Neysa had reverted to unicorn-form and were
grazing on the patch of rich bluegrass maintained beside
the fountain for that purpose. The two were a beautifully
matched set, his blue against her black, his red socks com-
plementing her white ones. Clip was a true unicorn in
coloration; Neysa had been excluded from the herd for
some years because her color resembled that of a horse.
Stile still got angry when he thought about that.

Neysa looked up as he approached, black ears perking
forward, a stem of grass dangling from her mouth. As with
most equines, her chewing stopped when her attention was
distracted.

"I regret the necessity," Stile said briskly. "But I must
after all interfere with Neysa's opportunity. The Blue
Adept has, as we know, an anonymous enemy, probably
another Adept, who has murdered him once and seeks to
do so again. I have no second life to spare. Until I deal
with this enemy, I do not feel secure without completely
competent protection and guidance. No one can do that as
well as the mare. Therefore I must seek a postponement of
the Stallion's imperative until this crisis abates. I realize
this works a hardship on Neysa, and is selfish of meЧ"

Neysa snorted musically, pleased, and not for a moment
deceived. She resumed chewing her mouthful. Clip angled
his horn at her in askance, but saw that she was satisfied,
so kept silent.

One problem had been exchanged for another, however.