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

"Is... uh... is it safe?" I asked uncertainly.
"I would never expose your family to any danger," Merlin reassured me. "I
think
they will find the process both fascinating and enjoyable."

I went to fetch Jenny and the girls, who hardly needed any encouragement to
drop
their lessons and play with Uncle Merlin. They came bounding in like kittens,
anxious to fly around the room once more. However much to their
disappointment,
Merlin refused to oblige them. When their faces fell and they began to whine
petulantly, he held up an admonishing finger and they fell silent instantly,
an
act of obedience they'd never given quite so readily to either Jenny or
myself.
I had no idea how he did it.

"Now let us understand one thing," their Uncle Merlin told them. "Magic is
not
to be employed for the purposes of play or amusement. It is not something to
be
taken lightly. I know that you enjoyed your brief experience as birds, but
beyond that enjoyment, what was it you learned?"

Our daughters screwed their faces up in concentration. Then, finally,
Christine
hit upon the answer "To always think for ourselves, and not to think a thing
is
true merely because someone said it was."

"Very good,", said Merlin, patting her on the head. "That was the purpose of
the
lesson. Now in this case, the lesson happened to have been enjoyable. But
remember that not all lessons are enjoyable. Some are learned with difficulty
and great hardship. And once a lesson has been learned, there should be no
need
to repeat it. Now, we are about to have our second lesson. Are your prepared
to
learn it?"

They both nodded expectantly while Jenny glanced at me nervously. I merely
nodded, as if I knew what in bloody hell was going on, though I felt no such
security.

"Your father and I have a great deal of work to do," said Merlin, "important
work that may take us from you for some periods of time. Therefore, what we
are
going to do is weave a spell that will protect this home while your father and
I
are away. We shall all do it together. Would you like to help me weave a