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

тАЬThe information is psychically, though not physiologically correct,тАЭ replied a deep bass voice out of thin
air beside them and some five feet off the ground. Jim, who had taken the question to be rhetorical,
started convulsively.

тАЬIs that so?тАЭ S. Carolinus peered at Jim with new interest. тАЬHmm.тАЭ He spat out a hair or two. тАЬCome in,
AnomalyтАФor whatever you call yourself.тАЭ

Jim squeezed in through the door and found himself in a large single room. It was a clutter of mismatched
furniture and odd bits of alchemical equipment.

тАЬHmm,тАЭ said S. Carolinus, closing the door and walking once around Jim, thoughtfully. тАЬIf you arenтАЩt a
dragon, what are you?тАЭ
тАЬWell, my real nameтАЩs Jim Eckert,тАЭ said Jim.

тАЬBut I seem to be in the body of a dragon named Gorbash.тАЭ

тАЬAnd this disturbs you. So youтАЩve come to me. How nice,тАЭ said the magician, bitterly. He winced,
massaged his stomach and closed his eyes. тАЬDo you know anything thatтАЩs good for a perpetual
stomach-ache? Of course not. Go on.тАЭ

тАЬWell, I want to get back to my real body. And take Angie with me. SheтАЩs my fiancee and I can send her
back but I canтАЩt send myself back at the same time. You see, this Grottwold HansonтАФwell, maybe I
better start from the beginning.тАЭ

тАЬBrilliant suggestion, Gorbash,тАЭ said Carolinus. тАЬOr whatever your name is,тАЭ he added.

тАЬWell,тАЭ said Jim. Carolinus winced. Jim hurried on. тАЬI teach at a place called Riveroak College in the
United StatesтАФyouтАЩve never heard of itтАФтАЭ

тАЬGo on, go on,тАЭ said Carolinus.

тАЬThat is, IтАЩm a teaching assistant. Dr. Howells, who heads the English Department, promised me an
instructorship over a year ago. But heтАЩs never come through with it; and AngieтАФAngie Gilman, my
fianceeтАФтАЭ

тАЬYou mentioned her.тАЭ

тАЬYesтАФwell, we were having a little fight. That is, we were arguing about my going to ask Howells
whether he was going to give me the instructorтАЩs rating for next year or not. I didnтАЩt think I should; and
she didnтАЩt think we could get marriedтАФwell, anyway, in came Grottwold Hanson.тАЭ

тАЬIn where came who?тАЭ

тАЬInto the Campus Bar and Grille. We were having a drink there. Hanson used to go with Angie. HeтАЩs a
graduate student in psychology. A long, thin geek thatтАЩs just as crazy as he looks. HeтАЩs always getting
wound up in some new odd-ball organization or otherтАФтАЭ

тАЬDictionary!тАЭ interrupted Carolinus, suddenly.

He opened his eyes as an enormous volume appeared suddenly poised in the air before him. He