"Peter David - Sir Apropos 03 - Tong Lashing" - читать интересную книгу автора (David Peter)

of admiration, and the largest of them--a broad-shouldered, mustached man wearing a large gray cloak
and white tunic--was even scratching Mordant under the chin and being rewarded with gentle "cooing"
sounds.

"What the hell is all this?" I demanded, startling them. One of them reached to his side and I heard the
unmistakable hiss of steel against leather as he prepared to draw a sword. This didn't sit particularly well
with me, as the prospect of fighting generally didn't. But I was just annoyed enough not to back down.
Furthermore the weight of the bastard sword I kept strapped to my back was of comfort.

But Sharee put out a hand to the sword-puller and said firmly, "It's all right. This is Apropos.
Apropos, these are old friends of mine."

"Are they," I said, in a tone that I wanted to sound chilly, but instead just came out as somewhat
whiny. "Imagine running into them here."

"This," she said, indicating the mustached one, "is Rex Reggis. He's a weaver. We received training in
the same guild hall, years ago."

"Little Sharee always had a crush on me," said Reggis with the sort of ready smile that just makes you
want to rip off the lips of the smiler.

"You," she corrected him in a very arch tone, "had a crush on me."

"I feel the need to disagree," he said.

"And I feel the need to impale myself," I told them, "but sometimes we resist urges."

I didn't like the way she was looking at Reggis. Nor did I like the way he was looking at her. There
was something decidedly unsavory about the whole thing, and I couldn't help but feel that the sooner we
were quit of them, the better.

"We were just admiring your drabit," said Rex. "Quite an amazing creature. We can use him on our
quest."

I had been about to launch on a truly sterling string of snide remarks and cutting insults that would
have been among the most memorable ever put forward in the history of condescending discourse. But
Rex's comment tossed it right out of my head, leaving my initial response as a sort of inarticulate
"Hnnch?" Fortunately I reacquired my ability to speak straightaway, and said, "Quest?"

"They're on a quest," Sharee said eagerly. "Doesn't that sound exciting?"

"Yes," I agreed. "It certainly does. And I have to emphasize here the concept of 'sounds.' As in, is
best appreciated second- or third-hand in the telling of it, rather than the first-hand experiencing of it."

"Oh, come now!" Rex boomed. "A man of your obvious quality and sophistication would certainly
thrive on a good quest!"

I glanced over my shoulder to see just who he might be addressing, and then realized with dawning
disbelief that he was talking to me. I forced a grin, which was more like gritted teeth, and said, "What's
obvious to you appears to have slipped right past me."