"Diana Wynne Jones - Mixed Magics" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jones Diana Wynne)

pressed another knob, which made wipers start furi-ously waving across the
windscreen, wiping off the water the first knob had squirted.

"Doh!" said the Willing Warlock, and put up his hand irritably to rub that
panicky cold spot at the back of his neck. The cold place was connected to
a long, warm, hairy muzzle. Whatever owned the muzzle objected to being
wiped away. It let out a deep bass growl and a blast of warm, smelly air.

The Willing Warlock snatched his hand away. In his terror, he pressed
another button, which caused the seat he was in to collapse gently
backward until he was lying on his back. He found himself staring up into
the face of the largest dog he had ever seen. It was a great pepper-colored
brute, with white fangs to match the size of the rest of it. Evidently he had
stolen a dog as well as a car.

"Grrrrr," repeated the dog. It bent its great head until the noise vibrated
the Willing Warlock's skull like a road drill, and sniffed his face loudly.

"Get off," said the Willing Warlock tremulously.

Worse followed. Something surged in the backseat beside the huge dog. A
small, shrill voice, sounding very sleepy, said, "Why have we stopped for,
Daddy?"

"Oh, my gawdl" said the Willing Warlock. He turned his eyes gently
sideways under the great dog's face. Sure enough, there was a child on the
backseat beside the dog, a rather small child with red-dish hair and a
slobbery, sleepy face.

"You're not my daddy," this child said accusingly.

The Willing Warlock rather liked children on the whole, but he knew he
would have to get rid of this one somehow. To steal a car and a dog and a
child would probably put him in prison for life. Peo-ple really did not like
you stealing children.

Frantically he reached forward and pushed knobs. Lights lit, wipers swatted
and unswatted, voices spoke, a hooter sounded, but at last he pushed the
right one, and the seat rose gracefully upright again. He used his magic on
the rear door, and it sprang open.

"Out," he said. "Both of you. Get out and wait, and your daddy will find
you."

Dog and child turned and stared at the open door. Their faces, puzzled and
slightly indignant, turned back to the Willing Warlock. It was their car, after
all.

The Willing Warlock tried a bit of coaxing. "Get out. Nice dog. Good boy."