"Duncan, Dave - Impossible Odds v1" - читать интересную книгу автора (Duncan Dave)

Of course Cub Bernard first had to be baited about that slinky
White Sister he had acquired. It was unseemly that a freckle-faced
tyro, not two weeks into the Guard and barely through his orgying
lessons, should collect something like that when better men
hankered in vain. They quickly disнcovered that young Bernard was
not the average run-of-the-mill Ironhall innocent. He could see that
they were all as jealous as stags with glass antlers. He gave back
as good as he got, inventing much lurid detail.

Abandoning that game as unwinnable, Valiant, Aragon, and Richey
got serious. They found a massive oaken dining table and, with
some difficulty, dragged it to the bottom of the stair. They tried to
move the two colossal bronze candeнlabra closer to itЧhowever
exceptional a BladeТs night viнsion, in monetary matters he liked his
brothersТ hands well lit. Finding the monsters immovable, they
settled for the exнisting illumination and got down to concentrated
instruction.

УYou know Saving Seven, of course?Ф Valiant asked.

12 Dave Duncan

The kid said he didnТt, so Richey demanded to see the color of his
money and Aragon produced a bag of eight-sided dice. Each face
represented one of the elements, he exнplained, and you rolled
them four dice at a time. The object was to roll seven elements but
not the eighth, death. Roll a death and you had to start collecting
from the beginning.

УFirst player has a slight edge,Ф he added, Уso weТll give you the
honor. After that the winner starts the next one. Put a farthing in the
pot and roll four.Ф

On his first try the kid rolled two airs, a water, and a chance, so he
counted three. Sir Richey paid his farthing and rolled two deaths,
which put him out of that game altogether. The other two scored
four elements apiece.

УJust keep going,Ф Richey said. УYou can fold, pay the same price
as the last man, or double it.Ф

Nobody doubled on that round, which saw the kid roll love, time,
and fire, while Valiant and Aragon added one elнement each. Being
ahead with six, lacking only earth, Bernard doubled the price, but
failed to improve his score. The others paid when their turns came,
with the same lack of progress, so he doubled the price again. He
had spirit. With the pot starting to look interesting, he rolled a triple
death. Valiant and Aragon exchanged angry glances. Richey
guffawed.