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

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I helped the mighty wizard out onto the lawn that fronted the building. The grass was already crowded with prostrate mages. We had to walk some distance before we could find a place Ebenezum might sit undisturbed. He slid onto the grass with a groan. At least, I reflected, it wasn't a sneeze. In fact, the air out here on the lawn was remarkably sneeze-free.

'Thank you, 'prentice,' my master said after he had regained his breath. ' 'Twas an unhealthy situation in there. Too many magicians per square foot. The residual sorcery alone was enough to trigger the malady in all of us. And then, with the arrival of the Brownie, not to mention Snarks, and Hendrek's warclub . . .' Ebenezum shook his head. 'We will have to make plans' - the wizard stroked his beard contemplatively - 'but never again in such a large group.'

I did not say aloud what I thought; that the Netherhells had won a considerable victory if they could prevent the wizards of Vushta from ever using their collective magic against demonkind. The situation looked grimmer with every passing moment.

'Indeed,' Ebenezum replied to my glum expression. 'This proliferation of my malady is a serious setback. But we have faced other trials before, and triumphed.'

Snarks walked rapidly past us, a haunted look in his eyes. Tap was right on his heels. 'Now that we know all about the leather,' he called after the fleeing demon, 'just what do we do with it? This brings us to the second part of our lesson: Rudimentary Shoe Design!'

Ebenezum stroked his mustache as the Brownie also disappeared into the crowd of slowly recovering wizards. 'In fact,' he added, 'methinks I see the beginning of a plan.' He turned to me, an edge of excitement to his voice. 'Wunt!

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Gather all our compatriots together and tell them to meet us at yon willow tree an hour hence.'

I glanced at the tree my master had indicated, a huge weeping willow at the far end of the courtyard from the Great Hall.

'All our compatriots?' I inquired.

The wizard nodded. 'Every single one. Meanwhile, I need to confer with one or two of my fellow wizards. By the time we meet, I will have put the final touches on our counterstrategy.'

I nodded and rushed away. We had made quite a few allies in our numerous adventures; I imagined them scattered all over Vushta by now. I somehow had to find all our compatriots in under an hour.

I found Snarks busily conversing with Hendrek directly around the corner of the building. The Brownie stood a few feet away, discoursing to no one in particular about the proper space one should put between eyelets. Here were three of these whom I sought. Perhaps this wouldn't be as difficult as I first had thought.

'Doom,' Hendrek remarked.

'Please!' Snarks pleaded. 'For the sake of all we've been through together! Only one tiny little blow from your warclub, and we'll never have to hear about eyelets again!'

'Doom!' Hendrek insisted. 'The Brownie has done nothing wrong!'

'Nothing wrong?' The demon groaned. 'The Brownie's very existence is an affront to demonkind! Just look at that little fellow, bopping up and down, talking about shoes as if they were the most important thing in the world. How can something that - that cute be allowed to live!'

Tap was indeed jumping up and down at this very moment, waving his hands and shouting at the top of his

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voice: 'You put one here, and you put one there! Shoe eyelets, shoe eyelets, everywhere!'

I had to admit that Snarks was at least partially right. Even lecturing about shoe eyelet placement, Tap the Brownie was adorable.

'Give me an S!' Tap continued. 'Give me an H! Give me an O! Give me -'

'Doom.' The large warrior shook his head. 'I couldn't do it. Violence is not always the answer, friend demon. Have you tried reasoning with the little fellow?' He turned to the Brownie, who was now leaping about in circles.

'What's that spell?' Tap cried. 'Shoe! What's that spell? Shoe! What's that spell? Shoe!'