"Gordon R. Dickson - The Last Dream" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

тАЬThatтАЩs right!тАЭ boomed Smrgol. тАЬDonтАЩt you go calling anybody your worship. Never heard of such stuff!тАЭ
He turned to Jim. тАЬAnd letting a george go in where he didnтАЩt dare go himself! Boy, I said to him, donтАЩt
give me this only a mere-dragon and just a mere-dragon. MereтАЩs got nothing to do with what kind of
dragon you are. What kind of a world would it be if we were all like that?тАЭ Smrgol mimicked (as well as
his dragon-basso would let him) someone talking in a high, simpering voice. тАЬOh, IтАЩm just a
plowland-and-pasture dragonтАФyouтАЩll have to excuse me, IтАЩm only a halfway-up-the-hill dragonтАФBoy!тАЭ
bellowed Smrgol, тАЬI said, youтАЩre a dragon! Remember that. And a dragon acts like a dragon or he
doesnтАЩt act at all!тАЬ

тАЬHear! Hear!тАЭ said Nevile-Smythe, carried away by enthusiasm.

тАЬHear that, boy? Even the george here knows that. DonтАЩt believe IтАЩve met you, george,тАЭ he added,
turning to the knight.

тАЬNevile-Smythe, Sir Reginald. Knight bachelor.тАЭ

тАЬSmrgol. Dragon.тАЭ

тАЬSmrgol? You arenтАЩt theтАФbut you couldnтАЩt be. Over a hundred years ago.тАЭ

тАЬThe dragon who slew the Ogre of Gormely Keep? ThatтАЩs who I am, boyтАФgeorge, I mean.тАЭ

тАЬBy Jove! Always thought it was a legend, only.тАЭ

тАЬLegend? Not on your honor, george! IтАЩm oldтАФ even for a dragon, but there was a timeтАФwell, well, we
wonтАЩt go into that. IтАЩve something more important to talk to you about. IтАЩve been doing a lot of thinking
the last decade or so about us dragons and you georges getting together. Actually, weтАЩre really a lot
alikeтАФтАЭ
тАЬIf you donтАЩt mind, Smrgol,тАЭ cut in Carolinus, snappishly, тАЬwe arenтАЩt out here to hold a parlement. ItтАЩll be
noon inтАФwhen will it be noon, you?тАЭ

тАЬFour hours, thirty-seven minutes, twelve seconds at the sound of the gong,тАЭ replied the invisible bass
voice. There was a momentary pause, and then a single mellow, chimed note. тАЬChime, I mean,тАЭ the voice
corrected itself.

тАЬOh, go back to bed!тАЭ cried Carolinus furiously.

тАЬIтАЩve been up for hours,тАЭ protested the voice, indignantly.

Carolinus ignored it, herding the party together and starting them off for the Tower. The knight fell in
beside Smrgol.

тАЬAbout this business of men and dragons getting together,тАЭ said Nevile-Smythe. тАЬConfess I wasnтАЩt much
impressed until I heard your name. DтАЩyou think itтАЩs possible?тАЭ

тАЬGot to make a start sometime, george.тАЭ Smrgol rumbled on. Jim, who had moved up to the head of the
column to walk beside Carolinus, spoke to the magician.

тАЬWhat lives in the Tower?тАЭ