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

Selina said hotly. тАЬThe son-of-a-kobold was way ahead, and we all want the chance
to win some of our own back.тАЭ
тАЬAhead by how much?тАЭ Bella asked.
тАЬCoupla thouтАЩ.тАЭ
тАЬMmmm, big money.тАЭ Bella was impressed.
тАЬNot money. Starbucks gift cards.тАЭ
тАЬOur co-workers know we play honestly, no magic-enhanced cheating
allowed, and they donтАЩt trust one another enough to start up games of their own,тАЭ
Berry said. тАЬThey all want in, so we maintain a waiting list, in case one of us should
drop out some day, for whatever reason. LyndonтАЩs name tops that list. One more
week without Bixby and weтАЩll have to let him join the game.тАЭ Berry clasped his
sturdy hands around the coffee beans in a gesture of supplication so tight that a third
of the bag was rendered into a fine espresso grind. тАЬMaтАЩam, for the sake of
friendship, for the sake of compassion, for the sake of poker, I implore you, let our
brownie go!тАЭ
тАЬAsk me after my party,тАЭ said Bella, and burst into cackles of victorious
laughter.
****
Bixby stood beneath the familiar green and gold awning that sheltered the main
entrance to the Hotel Tiernan, a sheaf of papers in his hands. The doorman on duty
was a gnome named Hork. A huge smile broke across his face as he recognized the
errant brownie.
тАЬBy the bless├йd Mill, lad, you donтАЩt mean to say youтАЩre free again?тАЭ he cried,
holding the door wide in welcome. тАЬMel told me of your sorry trials. Ah, dreadful
doings, that, just dreadful, but here you are, home again, so allтАЩs well thatтАФтАЭ
 тАЬShut the door, Hork,тАЭ Bixby said, glum. тАЬIтАЩm not free, IтАЩm only here to
deliver miladyтАЩs list of demands for the party sheтАЩs won on a wager. I fear that if I
went through those beloved doors, knowing IтАЩll be forced to leave once more, it
would break my heart. Be a good bogle and summon one of my poker chums to
take this.тАЭ He rattled the bunch of papers.
Hork set two fingers to his lips and blew a whistle so shrill and commanding
that taxis came flocking from blocks away, like seagulls to a garbage barge. The
piercing sound also fetched Melusine, lovely in her plumberтАЩs uniform. Bixby
handed over BellaтАЩs list wordlessly and turned to leave.
тАЬOh, Bixby, I wish there were something we could do to save you!тАЭ she
called after him.
He paused and looked back. тАЬAnd what might that be?тАЭ he replied. The
expression of total defeat on his face brought seaweed-steeped tears to the ondineтАЩs
eyes. тАЬIтАЩm caught fast in the grasp of a greedy mortal with fingers stickier than
spiderweb strands. She fancies herself the victim of harsh times, but never once has
she shown a wisp of the compassion she demands from the world. She feels no
hurts but her own. IтАЩll die in her service, Melusine.тАЭ
тАЬBixby, you mustnтАЩt talk about such things!тАЭ
тАЬWhat, death? At this point it would, as Clint Eastwood says, make my day.тАЭ
He trudged off.
Mel wiped her eyes, then looked down at the list Bixby had given her. Berry
had told Bella Franklin to be specific in her desires for the party, implying that sheтАЩd
get exactly what she asked for, no more and no less. It wasnтАЩt typical behavior for
the otherwise generous-souled dwarf, but the mortal creature had gotten his dander
up to stratospheric levels. Bella in turn had set her shrewd mind to beating him at his