"Simon Hawke - Wizard 7 - The Wizard of Camelot" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hawke Simon)

I..."

My voice trailed off as I recalled why I'd come there in the first place, and
what a foolish risk I'd taken, and for a moment, I felt at odds with myself.
I
was already there, the risk had already been taken, and it seemed pointless
not
to complete my mission. I bent down to pick up the axe I'd dropped, only to
see
that it was broken. The handle had splintered and the head had snapped clean
off.

"Never fear," said Merlin. "Do not concern yourself. It is late, the weather
is
beastly, and your family must be worried. Come."

He started walking purposefully in the direction I had come from. I suddenly
recalled the mines, and shouted out a warning. Then I saw that he was not
walking in a straight line, but in a serpentine manner, holding his staff out
in
front of him as if it were some sort of metal detector. Astonished, I
followed
in his wake and we reached the fence without incident. I stopped for a moment
and looked back the way we'd come, scarcely believing that any of this was
happening. Where had he come from? That lightning bolt must have narrowly
missed
him. What had he been doing there? And why on earth was he dressed in such a
peculiar fashion?

The rain had slackened considerably. It fell as a fine mist as we headed home
together I noticed, as we walked, that bit by bit, his frailty and stiffness
seemed to disappear, and the dampness did not seem to bother his old bones at
all. In fact, I soon had to quick march to keep up with him. Jenny was
frantic
with worry by the time we came in through the door, though the girls were
still
asleep.

"Oh, thank God!" she said, throwing her arms around me. "Thank God you're
safe!"

"It's all right," I said, holding her tightly. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to
frighten you. But I'm afraid I brought no wood andтАФ"

"There is no need for concern," Merlin said, standing at the rear of the
kitchen, by the door to the enclosed back entry-way. "You seem to have an
adequate supply"

Jenny turned toward him, puzzled, and shook her head. "But we have no wood,"
she