"Anthony, Piers - Xanth 06 - Night Mare" - читать интересную книгу автора (Anthony Piers)

grazing. The problem was, there was a minor mountain
range between herself and that pasture, and in her present
solid state it would be at best tedious and at worst danger-
ous to climb over that range.

There was good pasturage at the castle, however. But
she had seldom gone there, as the bad dreams for the royal
human personages were generally carried by night mares
with seniority, those who had been in the business for three
centuries or more. Imbri would be likely to blunder in that
vicinity, especially by day, and she didn't want to do that.

But she remembered that there was a pass through the
mountains, little known but adequate. It had a mildly inter-
esting history-

She paused in her thought. There was a nice patch of
grass, superverdant! She could graze right here, after all.

She trotted to it and put her nose down. The grass
reached up and hooked in her tender nostrils and lip.

Imbri vaulted backward, her nose getting scratched as
the awful greenery ripped free. That was carnivorous
grass! She couldn't go near that; instead of being eaten by
her, it would eat her.

No help for it. She would have to cross the mountains.
She set off at a trot, bearing north. She skirted tangle trees
and danglevines and the lairs of dragons, griffins, basilisks,
nickelpedes, and other ilk, knowing they were now danger-
ous to her. She had, after all, illustrated such hazards in
the dreams she delivered to deserving creatures often
enough. Soon she came to the mountains.

Now where was that pass? A little westward, she re-
called. She trotted in that direction. She knew the general
lay of the land, but exact details of placement were vague,
since material things not relating to clients had not had
much importance to her before.

Something was coming toward her. Imbri paused, not
frightened but careful. She realized that she was now vul-
nerable to monsters, though she had confidence she could
outrun most of them. Few things moved faster than a night
mare in a hurry! But there were so many things to remem-
ber when one's body was stuck solid.

The reality was a pleasant surprise. It was a magnificent
white horse, trotting eastward along the range. He had a