"Cook,.Rick.-.Wizardry.03-04.-.Cursed.And.Consulted" - читать интересную книгу автора (Cook Rick)

Sixteen: Black Bag Job
Seventeen: Invitation To an Auto-de-Fe
Eighteen: Presentation
Nineteen: Contact
Twenty: The Prancing Pig
Twenty-one: Fanfare For Kazoos and Dragon
Twenty-two: Dragon Trouble
Twenty-three: Dragonmote
Twenty-four: Net Gains
Twenty-five: We Who Are About To . . .
Twenty-six: Dragon Decisions
Twenty-seven: Dragon Tale Home

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Contents

The Wizardry Cursed
ONE: CONTRACT

Beware of open-ended contracts. They are hell to support.

ЧProgrammers' saying





Torches flickered and smoked, casting fitful light through the
cavern. Tosig Longbeard, King of the DwarvesЧor at least the
Mid-Northeastern Dwarves of the Southern Forest RangeЧshifted
on his carved alabaster throne and eyed his visitors with distaste.

It was, he had to admit, a most unusual sight. Three Troll Kings in
the same room and not fighting. The sight and stench would have
been enough to gag a human; but dwarves have a somewhat
different aesthetic and King Tosig's attitude owed more to the
delegation's demands than their looks or smell. He drummed his
fingers on the throne arm as he tried to figure a diplomatic way out
of this mess.

The smaller troll in the center did the talking. He was unusually
intelligent for a troll and their host had no doubt he was the one
who had organized this meeting. Pox rot him! Tosig thought as he
waited for him to run down.

"This is not a matter for me or my people," Tosig broke in at last.
"If this new human wizard bothers you, then destroy him."

"We cannot," the troll king replied. "This magic is too strong." His
face split into a snaggle-toothed grin. "But dwarves have powerful