"03 - A Disagreement with Death" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gardner Craig Shaw)

I sighed. "I'm afraid so. That is, if we can trust Death. The specter is too fond of its games and tricks. I fear that, instead of releasing Ebenezum from its kingdom in exchange for me, Death may try to take us both."

"Humans!" an excruciatingly annoying voice exclaimed behind us. "Don't you know anything?"

I whirled to see the truth-telling demon Snarks, attired as usual in his monkish robes of somber gray; robes that, despite their neutral hue, still seemed to clash with the demon's bright green complexion.

I glared at the smirking Snarks.

"How long have you been here?" I demanded.

"Oh, long enough. Your kissing's not bad." The demon nodded pleasantly at Norei before turning back to me. "After we're alone, of course, I'll be glad to give you one or two pointers to improve your technique."

"Snarks!" I began, pointing back toward the clearing where the rest of our party rested. "If you don't--"

But my beloved put a restraining hand upon my elbow, stopping my tirade before it could properly begin. "No, no, let the demon be. I believe he has a point."

Snarks nodded his agreement. "Actually I have a number of them, but they're covered by my robes."

I was horrified. Norei and Snarks agreed about me? I could barely bring myself to look at my beloved as I asked: "You mean he's right about me having to improve my technique?"

Norei laughed softly. "No, no, your technique needs no improving whatsoever. Not to say that we both couldn't benefit from additional practice, whenever and wherever we can find the time." She kissed me gently on the cheek. "But I think he is correct when he implied that there might be more than one way to fight Death."

I didn't remember Snarks saying that. Still, after a prolonged bout of kissing, I had a tendency not to remember much of anything. What would my master have done in a case like this? After a moment's consideration, I nodded sagely and waited for one of the others to continue.

Snarks waved a sickly green finger at Norei. "The young witch is very perceptive, especially for a human.

5

When I came upon this cozy little scene, you were bemoaning the fact that Death seemed to control the situation. Typical limited human thinking." The demon paused to shrug his heavily robed shoulders. "But then, you were not blessed with an upbringing spent in the devious byways of the Netherhells. One's thoughts flow much more freely when they're covered with a bit of slime."

I listened intently to the small demon, for, although Snarks somehow always managed to phrase things in the most irritating manner imaginable, still much of what he had told us in the past had been of great use. The small demon had developed an odd clarity of vision, based in large pan on his overwhelming compulsion to tell the truth in all things--a reaction, apparently, to an experience Snarks had while still in the womb, when his mother was badly frightened by a group of demonic politicians.

"So here we are," the demon continued, "in the middle of a brand-new game, and Death appears to be holding all the cards." Snarks smiled. "But I think that the game we're going to play won't use any cards at all. Who says we have to play by Death's rules? You have a crowd of allies only a few feet away, some of whom have very interesting powers. I think that, with a little thought, we will come up with a game that will actually put Death at a disadvantage." The demon clapped his hands enthusiastically. "We can win this!"

"That's right!" a tiny, high voice said from the vicinity of my ankles. "You can't help but win with Brownie Power!"

Snarks paused mid-clap to make a face even more unpleasant than usual, as if something he had eaten recently was interfering with his digestion. He had also managed to turn an even deeper shade of green.

"Then again," he added a moment later, his stomach apparently once more under control, "perhaps there are some of your allies who might be better excluded from further assistance."

"Nonsense! Brownies need no rest. We thrive on conflict!" Tap the Brownie performed an impromptu tap dance

6

as he spoke. "Especially if that conflict has something to do with shoes!"

"I've got you there!" Snarks replied triumphantly. "I don't think Death has anything at all to do with footwear!"

"Nonsense! A being of Death's stature, not wearing--" Tap paused, doubt spreading across his tiny face. "Oh, my. The specter's robes are rather long, aren't they?"