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

Norei clutched my hand. "Yes, Wuntvor," she said bravely. "We must come up with a bargain for Death."

"Bargains?" Death laughed bitterly, its patience at an end. "I am tired of bargains! You know what I desire!"

"Did I hear someone mention bargains?" A demon wearing a loud, checkered coat appeared before us, a large sack in one hand, a lit cigar in the other. He lifted the sack, waving it in Death's direction. "Well, you need look no further than my extensive stock of previously owned weapons!"

"No more!" Death screamed. "I will have my due! We will talk now!"

But suddenly another, much larger, much uglier demon stood among us. With a single, disdainful glance toward Death, the large demon cleared his throat and began to declaim:

"Guxx Unfufadoo, noble demon, Wishes to announce his presence--"

"Too much!" Death shrieked. "I will deal with all of you!" The creature lifted its hands above its head, spreading its bonelike fingers wide. And through the space between the fingers came the wind.

It began as a gale. Leaves were torn from the trees surrounding the clearing, then the smaller branches began to rip free. My companions tried to hold their ground, but they were forced to cover their faces so they would not choke on the dust that filled the air.

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The wind increased, and the larger tree branches groaned as they bent in two. My smaller fellows lost their footing, and had to huddle on the ground so as not to be blown away. One by one, the others also fell to the ground as the enchanted gale redoubled again, becoming so powerful that even Hubert had to strain against its force.

Death smiled at me though the gale, as if we shared a joke. And perhaps we did, for I did not feel the wind at all.

"Good," Death remarked, its voice soft and clear despite the wind around us. "Now we may conclude our business."

"Indeed," I replied, and my voice, too, sounded louder than the wind. There would be no more stalling. I would have to make Death an offer at last. I looked at the huddled form of Norei to one side, the mass of overlarge robes that hid Snarks on the other side. There was no way I could talk to any of my fellows!

Death laughed, the sound of plants being ripped up by their roots in the gale. "They cannot help you now. My power has put us beyond them. It is just you and I: the Eternal Apprentice and his Death."

The specter wriggled his fingers. The wind grew even stronger.

"Their advice was worthless, anyway. Surprised that I should know?" Death paused an instant in its wind production to smooth its rotting robes. "You shouldn't be. I knew everything they've said, and everything they were going to say. Pitiful mortals. Do you think you can keep any secrets from Death? I am everywhere. I am in all of you, and make my presence known a little bit more every day. I know all of you intimately, and, although you may deny it, all of you know me, too."

Death laughed again, the sound of trees felled by lightning. "Now, though, you will come to know me so much better. For I have taken the two of us beyond

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the others. Prepare for your demise, Eternal Apprentice. No one can help you now."

There was a crashing sound behind me. Perhaps the wind was actually tearing apart the trees. Death stared beyond me, as if astonished by its handiwork.

"Oops!"

A giant foot crashed between us, a foot that belonged to Richard the giant.

"Excuse me, fellows," Richard rumbled. "There seem to be some tricky winds down close to the ground. It's making walking a little difficult. Uh-- you didn't want that part of the forest back there, anyways, did you?"

"I don't believe this!" Death screamed.

And then the wind was gone.