"02 - The Wizardry Compiled (b)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Cook Rick)

Seklos nodded, saving nothing.
"There is still time. He can be stopped before matters come to a head, but to do it I must have your magic behind me."
Seklos laughed. "You propose to become an initiate of the Dark League?"
The blue-robed one gestured angrily. "Do not mock me, wizard. And understand this. We are mortal enemies, you and I. Under other circumstances I would crush you as I would kill a poisonous serpent."
Seklos smiled unpleasantly and cocked his head, but he did not interrupt.
"But," the first man went on, "the Sparrow is a threat to every human magic user in the World. For this once and on this one matter I suggest that we have common cause and propose that we act in concert to rid ourselves of this menace."
"You put the matter succinctly," said the black robe. "Let us therefore consider the destruction of this Sparrow."
"No!"
The other cocked an eyebrow. "Does our new alliance flounder so soon?"
"The Sparrow is to be neutralized, not destroyed."
"Why not?"
"Two reasons. First, I forbid it." Seklos smiled again, but the blue robe ignored him. "Second, if you had a modicum of mother wit you would know his death is your destruction. Kill the Sparrow, harm one hair of him, and every wizard in the North will descend upon you. They will grub you out of your burrows and exterminate you all."
"And doubtless in the inquiry your part in the business would be discovered."
"Doubtless," the blue robe agreed, making a brushing motion as if to shoo off an annoying insect. "No, we cannot kill him. But if he were to disappear there would be many to mourn aloud him and few to lament his passing in private."
"And you suggest . . . ?"
"A Great Summoning to send the Sparrow back where he belongs. Him and his alien magics."
"Such a thing would not be easy to do."
"It would take a number of wizards, but it would not be impossible."
"Patrius did it alone."
"I am not as great a magician as Patrius," the northerner said with dignity. "Nor do I wish to end as he did." He remembered how the Dark League had cut the mighty wizard down as he performed unaided the Great Summoning which brought the Sparrow to this world. "This requires more than I can accomplish alone and the others on the Council who feel as I do will not act."
"And you think we will?"
The northerner shrugged. "You have more reason and less to lose. It cannot be pleasant to be reduced to lording it over field mice and birds."
Seklos' eyes glittered and the other knew his shaft had gone home.
"We can do nothing while he remains in the Capital," Seklos said at last. "He must be brought to us."
"He can he maneuvered out of the Capital."
"He must be brought toЧa place. It would be best if it were done while he treads the Wizard's Way. Then it is a matter of a simple spell."
The blue robe shrugged. Any wizard of the Mighty could be counted on to use that magical means for transport for any journey of over a few leagues.
"How long would it take you to be ready? The next full moon is on ..."
"I did not say I would do it," Seklos cut him off. "I said we would consider it." He nodded toward the sign hanging in the air, now a deep violet fading to black. "The sigil darkens. Our meeting is at an end." He turned and walked toward the opposite edge of the clearing. Wordlessly the Shadow Warrior followed, moving crabwise to keep his enemy always in sight.
Behind them the blue-robed wizard nodded. He knew full well that the remnants of the Dark League would join him in this. What other choice had they?
Two
Nailing Jelly to a Tree
Everything always takes twice as long and costs four times as much as you planned.
Чprogrammer's axiom
"I dunno," Wiz sighed again and drained his wine cup. "This isn't working out anything like I thought it would." He set the cup down and leaned toward Bal-Simba, elbows on knees.
"Look, I took the seat on the Council because you wanted me to. I'm not a wizard, I've never been a politician and those meetings are torture."
"Your position and power entitle you to a seat."
"Yeah, but I've got important work to do."
It was Bal-Simba's turn to sigh. He did so gustily and the bones of his necklace clattered with the movement of his barrel chest. "Sparrow, listen to a poor fat old wizard for a moment.
"You talk of finishing your spell engine. But that is only half your task. The other half is teaching others to use it and the largest part of that is getting them to accept it."
Wiz toyed with the cup, running his finger along the rim. "I suppose you're right. I never was any good at teaching. I guess I need to try harder."
"Perhaps it would be more to the point if you tried to understand how others feel. Your task is difficult. But you make it more so. Your attitude does not make you friends, either on the Council of among the other wizards and that adds to the hostility against your methods. Specifically, you do yourself no good at all when you belittle the Council."
"I don't belittle the Council!"
Bal-Simba arched a brow. "No? But your work is more important."
"Well ..."
"Sparrow, the Council of the North has stood for centuries as the shield of humans against malevolent magic, both from the Dark League and from the World at large. It is the closest thing to a ruler this land has."
Wiz nodded. "Look, I'd be the last person to deny you and the other wizards have done a heck of a job. But magical programming changes things. As soon as I get the compiler perfected and get to work on the spells, anyone will be able to use magic. There won't be a need for a Council of wizards to guard and protect humans."
Bal-Simba shook his head. "Sparrow, much as I admire your directness I think it leads you astray. But even if what you say is so, we must still get from where we are to where you wish to be. To do that you need the cooperation of all wizards, especially the Mighty and most especially the Council. You do not get someone's cooperation by telling him he is obsolete and his life's work is outworn."
"It would be easier if some of the Mighty would learn to use the compiler. But they're all so dense."
"Wizards do not have die reputation for being stupid," Bal-Simba said with deceptive mildness.