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

тАЬThereтАЩs not much more,тАЭ said Jim, gloomily. тАЬI was losing the argument and then this very big, old
dragon spoke up on my side. Hold Angie for ransom, he said. And they listened to him. It seems he
swings a lot of weight among them. HeтАЩs a great-uncle of meтАФof this Gorbash whoтАЩs body IтАЩm inтАФand
IтАЩm his only surviving relative. They penned Angie up in a cave and he sent me off to the Tinkling Water
here, to find you and have you open negotiations for ransom. Actually, on the side he told me to tell you
to make the terms easy on the georgesтАФI mean humans; he wants the dragons to work toward good
relations with them. HeтАЩs afraid the dragons are in danger of being wiped out. I had a chance to double
back and talk to Angie alone. We thought you might be able to send us both back.тАЭ

He stopped rather out of breath, and looked hopefully at Carolinus. The magician was chewing
thoughtfully on his beard.

тАЬSmrgol,тАЭ he muttered. тАЬNow thereтАЩs an exception to the rule. Very bright for a dragon. Also
experienced. Hmm.тАЭ

тАЬCan you help us?тАЭ demanded Jim. тАЬLook, I can show youтАФтАЭ

Carolinus sighed, closed his eyes, winced and opened them again.

тАЬLet me see if IтАЩve got it straight,тАЭ he said. тАЬYou had a dispute with this maiden to whom youтАЩre
betrothed. To spite you, she turned to this third-rate practitioner, who mistakenly exorcized her from the
United States (whenever in the cosmos that is) to here, further compounding his error by sending you
back in spirit only to inhabit the body of Gorbash. The maiden is in the hands of the dragons and you
have been sent to me by your great-uncle Smrgol.тАЭ

тАЬThatтАЩs sort of it,тАЭ said Jim dubiously, тАЬonlyтАФтАЭ

тАЬYou wouldnтАЩt,тАЭ said Carolinus, тАЬcare to change your story to something simpler and more
reasonableтАФlike being a prince changed into a dragon by some wicked fairy stepmother? Oh, my poor
stomach! No?тАЭ He sighed. тАЬAll right, thatтАЩll be five hundred pounds of gold, or five pounds of rubies, in
advance.тАЭ

тАЬB-butтАФтАЭ Jim goggled at him. тАЬBut I donтАЩt have any goldтАФor rubies.тАЭ

тАЬWhat? What kind of a dragon are you?тАЭ cried Carolinus, glaring at him. тАЬWhereтАЩs your hoard?тАЭ

тАЬI suppose this Gorbash has one,тАЭ stammered Jim, unhappily. тАЬBut I donтАЩt know anything about it.тАЭ

тАЬAnother charity patient!тАЭ muttered Carolinus, furiously. He shook his fist at empty space. тАЬWhatтАЩs
wrong with that auditing department? Well?тАЭ

тАЬSorry,тАЭ said the invisible bass voice.

тАЬThatтАЩs the third in two weeks. See it doesnтАЩt happen again for another ten days.тАЭ He turned to Jim. тАЬNo
means of payment?тАЭ

тАЬNo. WaitтАФтАЭ said Jim. тАЬThis stomach-ache of yours. It might be an ulcer. Does it go away between
meals?тАЭ