"Gordon R. Dickson - Dragon Knight 02 - The Dragon Knight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

He forced his voice back into reasonable tones.

тАЬWell, thatтАЩs all very well,тАЭ he said, тАЬbut how do we get it to stop turning me into a dragon and back
again without any warning?тАЭ

тАЬWe donтАЩt,тАЭ said Carolinus. тАЬYouтАЩve got to do that for yourself.тАЭ

тАЬBut I donтАЩt know how!тАЭ said Jim. тАЬIf I knew how I wouldnтАЩt be here asking you for help.тАЭ

тАЬThis isnтАЩt the sort of thing I can help,тАЭ Carolinus said grumpily. тАЬItтАЩs your account, not mine. YouтАЩve got
to handle it. If you donтАЩt know how, youтАЩve got to learn how. Do you want to learn how?тАЭ

тАЬI have to learn how!тАЭ said Jim.

тАЬVery well then. IтАЩll take you on as my pupil,тАЭ said Carolinus. тАЬThe usual ten percent of your balance for
my fee will therefore automatically and immediately be transferred to my balance. Noted?тАЭ

тАЬNoted!тАЭ said the bass voice of the Accounting Office, from its customary height of a few feet above the
ground and with its customary effect on Jim-as if a firecracker had gone off between his toes.
тАЬA pittance,тАЭ Carolinus was grumbling into his beard. тАЬHowever, since itтАЩs the customary fee...тАЭ

He raised his voice to a conversational level again.

тАЬYou will be counseled by me in all things magical, as was Merlin by the mighty Bleys, his Master?тАЭ he
said. тАЬAnswer No, and the bargain is unmade, answer Yes and you pledge your total Account to your
word to obey!тАЭ

тАЬYes,тАЭ said Jim, readily enough.

He was thinking he might actually be a great deal better off without that ridiculous Account, so it would
hardly break his heart if it came to a matter of disobeying Carolinus on some magical matter.

тАЬWell,тАЭ said Jim, тАЬnow about getting me out of this dragon body and back into my regular one-тАЬ

тАЬNot so fast!тАЭ snapped Carolinus. тАЬFirst weтАЩve got to feed you with Knowledge.тАЭ

He turned aside and snapped his fingers at empty air.

тАЬEncyclopedia!тАЭ he commanded.

A red-bound volume of the Encyclopedia Britannica materialized out of thin air and fell to the gravel
below. A second volume was just about to follow it-in fact it had half materialized-when CarolinusтАЩs
rather brisk attitude changed to one of fury.

тАЬNo! Not that, you idiot!тАЭ he shouted. тАЬThe Encyclopedia. The Necromantick!тАЭ

тАЬSorry,тАЭ said the deep bass voice of the Accounting Office. The already-extant and the half-materialized
volume of the Britannica disappeared.