"02 Myth Conceptions (e)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Asprin Robert)

crawling about my mangy hair and tattered clothes.

The overall effect was horrifying. Even Aahz ad-
mitted he found it disquieting, which, considering the
things he's seen in his travels through the dimensions,
was high praise indeed.

My thoughts were interrupted as our visitor came
into view. He sat ramrod-straight astride a huge,
flightless riding bird. He carried no visible weapons
and wore no uniform, but his bearing marked him as
a soldier much more than any outer trappings could
have. His eyes were wary, constantly darting suspi-
ciously about as he walked his bird up to the inn in
slow, deliberate steps. Surprisingly enough, his gaze
passed over me several times without registering my
presence. Perhaps he didn't realize I was alive.

I didn't like this. The man seemed more the hunter
than the casual traveler. Still, he was here and had to
be dealt with. I went into my act.

"Does the noble sahr require a room?"

As I spoke I moved forward in my practical, roll-
ing gait. In case the subtlety of my disguise escaped
him, I allowed a large gob of spittle to ooze from

the corner of my mouth where it rolled unhindered
down to my chin.

For a moment the man's attention was occupied
controlling his mount. Flightless or not, the bird was
trying to take to the air.

Apparently my disguise had touched a primal
chord in the bird's mind that went back prior to its
flightless ancestry.

I waited, head cocked curiously, while the man
fought the bird to a fidgety standstill. Finally, he
turned his attention to me for a moment. Then he
averted his eyes and stared carefully at the sky.

"I come seeking the one known as Skeeve the
magician," he told me.

Now it was my turn to jump. To the best of my
knowledge, no one knew who I was and what I was,
much less where I was, except for Aahz and me.