"01 - A Difficulty With Dwarves" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gardner Craig Shaw)

'Let him go,' I instructed the assassin.

Even though he didn't like it, the Dealer did what he was told.

'Much better,' Grott said as he rubbed his neck. He stepped back three paces to join his fellows, who stood on either side of the street, each leaning against a building.

'So,' Grott continued, 'we expect either the cure or the money by moonrise tomorrow.'

33

'What?' I replied in astonishment. 'Haven't you listened to anything I said?'

'I would have preferred not to. As it was, I was too busy choking in a death grip to pay it much attention.' The smile was back on Grott's face. 'We have our orders, Wuntvor. Moonrise tomorrow, or else.'

'Does this mean I get to perform the "Moment of Grinding Terror" after all?' the Dealer cried joyously.

But the three apprentices were already some distance down the street, traveling at an amazing speed, considering their injuries.

'Remember!' Grott called before he disappeared around a distant corner. 'There's more where we came from. We of the Vushta Apprentice Guild will not be stopped! Moonrise tomorrow!'

'Is it worth it to pursue them?' the Dealer inquired. ' "The Milkmaid and the Moment of Grinding Terror" is just as effective when performed in motion.'

I told the assassin not to bother. We would deal with the Apprentice Guild later, if we had to. I must admit that at the time, I still held the vain hope that, in a cooler moment, the Guild might agree to work together with us after all. In the meantime, though, there was the meeting with my master to consider. I asked the Dealer of Death to join us beneath the willow.

'Ah,' the Dealer replied with a smile, 'time for action again. I shall meet you there.' He flexed his large and powerful hands. 'In the meantime, though, this recent encounter has left me vaguely dissatisfied. It is time I strangled a wild pig.'

With that, the Dealer was gone as silently as he arrived. I turned and once again headed for the Vushta Art Theater.

34

A magnificently mellow voice spoke from the shadows before I had gone three paces.

'I would have saved you, you know, if the other fellow hadn't shown up,' the voice crooned softly.

With that, the most wondrous beast I had ever seen stepped out into the light. Sparks flew where its shining hooves hit the cobblestones. It looked at me and tossed its head, the motion of its flowing mane taking my breath away.

It was the unicorn, a beast I had met once before in our journey across the Western Woods. Its incredibly white coat was doubly blinding here on the dark streets of Vushta, and I found it almost impossible to look at the sunlight reflecting ft off its golden horn.

'Forgive me,' the exquisite creature murmured. 'I just couldn't stay away.'

'What do you mean?' I said, temporarily taken aback.

The unicorn looked at me with its soulful brown eyes. 'I'm talking about you, you wonderful apprentice. It's not often that a beast of my sort finds someone really worthy, someone in whose lap I can lay my heavy head.' The beautiful beast took a tentative step toward me. 'It's worth taking a trip, even to a place like this, when you find a lap like that.'

'All the way to Vushta?' I took a step away. I had forgotten how uncomfortable this beast made me. 'Certainly there must be hundreds of laps in Vushta worthier than mine!'

'Vushta!' the beast snorted. It took another step in my direction. 'They call it the City of Forbidden Delights, you know. Not much chance of finding virgins here.' The unicorn sniffed haughtily. 'Well, that is,' the beast hastily added, 'with certain exceptions.' It nudged me gently with its golden horn.

'That's all very nice,' I replied, trying to think of some way