"Esther M. Friesner - At These Prices" - читать интересную книгу автора (Friesner Esther M)

chain charged for it, I had every right to take that double handful of butterscotch
drops from the bulk candy bin!тАЭ
тАЬMaтАЩam, if you think weтАЩre about to risk our own freedom by drinking a drop
of that, youтАЩve mistaken us for fools,тАЭ Berry said solemnly.
 тАЬIn other words, fat ass!тАЭ Selina put in.
тАЬDonтАЩcher mean тАШfat chanceтАЩ?тАЭ Tom the troll asked, always helpful.
тАЬI call тАШem like I see тАШem.тАЭ
Bella ignored the barb. тАЬI donтАЩt want you to drink it, I want you to swear on
it.тАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩre free and easy calling for oaths, maтАЩam,тАЭ Berry said, his eyes
narrowing. тАЬFirst on the bless├йd Mill, now on the beans of bliss. DonтАЩt trifle with our
faith for your own amusement.тАЭ
тАЬNot this time. If youтАЩve honestly come to free Bixby just because itтАЩs the
right thing to do, it honors the sacred ties of friendship, itтАЩs all a part of the
brotherhood of the sealsтАФтАЭ
тАЬThe Seelie!тАЭ Mel shouted.
тАЬтАФthen swear so on these beans and I swear IтАЩll let him go, here and now.
But if you canтАЩt do that, youтАЩve got to grant me one wish, something beyond
BixbyтАЩs powers, something IтАЩve always wanted with all my heart.тАЭ
тАЬA winning personality?тАЭ Selina suggested.
тАЬA party, you flying glob of snot,тАЭ Bella replied coldly. тАЬA fabulous party, so
I can finally brownnose the top brass at Speranza Storm Cosmetics in style. Kissing
up to those hairsprayed hags is the only way to get ahead in this business, the
straight road to earning all the top salesmanship awards, the cruises, the carsтАФтАЭ
тАЬThe ultimate freebies,тАЭ Mel murmured, demurely eyeing the droplets of
anticipatory drool forming at the corners of BellaтАЩs mouth.
тАЬIтАЩd think a salesmanship award was based on merit alone,тАЭ Berry remarked.
Bella sniffed. тАЬShows what you know, Peewee. ItтАЩs a hard world, and the only
way to get ahead is to take what you can, help yourself, and above all ... think fast!тАЭ
She hardballed the bag of coffee beans right at the dwarfтАЩs face. Mel gave a cry of
alarm, but before BerryтАЩs nose met a dark-roasted doom, his hand shot up
instinctively and intercepted the missile. Bella did her impression of a cream-stuffed
cat. тАЬThe consecrated caffeineтАЩs in your court now, big boy, so howтАЩs about that
oath?тАЭ
тАЬI am an engineer. I do not fear truth, merely statistics.тАЭ Berry cradled the
coffee reverently in his cupped palms. тАЬBy all we hold most dear, I freely swear that
weтАЩve come to rescue Bixby out of purest friendship.тАЭ
тАЬOh.тАЭ Bella had the stricken look of someone whoтАЩd not only backed the
wrong horse, but had done so at a dog race.
 тАЬAnd also because if we donтАЩt get him back for our weekly poker game soon,
weтАЩll have to replace him with Lyndon.тАЭ The dwarf shuddered.
тАЬLyndon?тАЭ Bella echoed.
тАЬLyndon the ogre,тАЭ Tom volunteered.
тАЬLyndon the blood-drinking, bone-crunching, flesh-rending, lousy
poker-playing, sore-losing, vicious-tempered, troll-punching, dwarf-crushing,
ondine-squishing, pixie-swatting ogre,тАЭ Selina elaborated.
тАЬThe designer from the independent florist shop in the lobby, yes, that
Lyndon,тАЭ Berry said. тАЬOur poker game is the envy of all the other hotel employees,
both for the camaraderie and the chance to pick up some serious winnings.тАЭ
тАЬLike Bixby was doing for the past six weeks before you captured him,тАЭ