"Simon Hawke - Sorcerer 2 - The Inadequate Adept" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hawke Simon)

start playing around with things like magic, there's no telling what might happen, and in this case, what
apparently happened was that your faithful narrator did his job a shade too well.

As a result of overhearing some narrative exposition in the previous episode, War...uh, Teddy's master
has already discovered that the mysterious 'apparatus now in his possession is something called a "time
machine," though he has yet to figure out exactly what that means. He has deduced that it is a device for
transporting people somewhere, but he has no idea where or how. To solve this mystery, he has offered
a reward for the capture of the brigands who had found the strange machine, in the hope that they can
lead him to its creator.
Brewster was unaware of all these ominous machinations, and when last we left our unsuspecting hero,
he had made an agreement with a dragon by the name of Rory, who promised to help Brewster find his
missing time machine. In return, Brewster would tell the dragon stories of the world he came from.
Unfortunately, Brewster neglected to take into account the fact that dragons live forever, and they love
hearing stories almost as much as they love to frolic in the autumn mist, so this could develop into a rather
open-ended deal.

Having set up housekeeping in a crumbling, old keep, Brewster must now reluctantly live up to his
reputation as a sorcerer, which is a bit of a trick, since he can't do any magic. However, as Arthur C.
Clarke once said, any knowledge that is sufficiently advanced would seem like magic to those who didn't
understand it, and while Brewster knew nothing about magic, he did know a thing or two about science.

In exchange for help in seeking the whereabouts of his missing "magic chariot," Brewster has set about
the task of bringing progress-and, hopefully, some profit-to the muddy, little town of Brigand's Roost. He
is aided in this task by Mick, the leprechaun; Bloody Bob, the huge, nearsighted brigand; a local farmer
named McMurphy, who has visions of becoming a tycoon; and Brian, the enchanted werepot prince,
who many years ago had been turned into a golden chamberpot by an irate sorcerer whose daughter
Brian had seduced. During each full moon, Prince Brian reverts to his human form, which has remained
agelessly youthful, while the child he had fathered has grown up to become none other than the Grand
Director of the Sorcerers and Adepts Guild, Warrick Morgannan.

"Now what?" snapped Warrick, looking up from his ancient vellum tomes and scrolls once more.

"But, Master, I said nothing!" Teddy the Troll protested.

"I distinctly heard my name mentioned," Warrick said severely.

Teddy swallowed hard and glanced around anxiously. " 'Twasn't me, Master. It must have been the
narrator." However, he looked very guilty and his denial was not entirely convincing.

Warrick narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Are you certain 'twas not you?"

"Nay, Master, I said nothing! Nothing!"

"I do not care for pranks, Teddy."

"But I could never play a prank on you, Master," Teddy insisted vehemently. "I would not know how!
Trolls have no sense of humor."

"Aye, 'tis true," said Warrick, scowling. "It must be that the narrator has begun the tale."