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

тАЬHe had a habit of dropping his club head after a swing,тАЭ said Smrgol. тАЬI noticed it along about the fourth
hour of battle and the next time he tried it, went in over his guard. Tore up the biceps of his right arm.
ThenтАФтАЭ

тАЬI remember,тАЭ Carolinus said. тАЬSo this is your nephew.тАЭ

тАЬGrandnephew,тАЭ corrected Smrgol. тАЬLittle thickheaded and all that,тАЭ he added apologetically, тАЬbut my
own flesh and blood, you know.тАЭ

тАЬYou may notice some slight improvement in him,тАЭ said Carolinus, dryly.

тАЬI hope so,тАЭ said Smrgol, brightening. тАЬAny change, a change for the better, you know. But IтАЩve bad
news, Mage. You know that inch worm of an Anark?тАЭ

тАЬThe one that found the maiden in the first place?тАЭ

тАЬThatтАЩs right. Well, heтАЩs stolen her again and run off.тАЭ

тАЬWhat?тАЭ cried Jim.

He had forgotten the capabilities of a dragonтАЩs voice. Carolinus tottered, the flowers and grass lay flat,
and even Smrgol winced.

тАЬMy boy,тАЭ said the old dragon reproachfully. тАЬHow many times must I tell you not to shout. I said, Anark
stole the george.тАЭ

тАЬHe means Angie!тАЭ cried Jim desperately to Carolinus.

тАЬI know,тАЭ said Carolinus, with his hands over his ears.
тАЬYouтАЩre sneezing again,тАЭ said Smrgol, proudly. He turned to Carolinus. тАЬYou wouldnтАЩt believe it. A
dragon hasnтАЩt sneezed in a hundred and ninety years. This boy did it the first moment he set eyes on the
george. The others couldnтАЩt believe it. Sign of brains, I said. Busy brains make the nose itch. Our side of
the familyтАФтАЭ

тАЬAngie!тАЭ

тАЬSee there? All right now, boy, youтАЩve shown us you can do it. LetтАЩs get down to business. How much
to locate Anark and the george, Mage?тАЭ

They dickered like rug-pedlars for several minutes, finally settling on a price of four pounds of gold, one
of silver, and a flawed emerald. Carolinus got a small vial of water from the Tinkling Spring and searched
among the grass until he found a small sandy open spot. He bent over it and the two dragons sat down to
watch.

тАЬQuiet now,тАЭ he warned. тАЬIтАЩm going to try a watch-beetle. DonтАЩt alarm it.тАЭ

Jim held his breath. Carolinus tilted the vial in his hand and the crystal water fell in three dropsтАФ Tink!
Tink! And againтАФTink! The sand darkened with the moisture and began to work as if something was
digging from below. A hole widened, black insect legs busily in action flickered, and an odd-looking