"Mercedes Lackey & Rosemary Edghill - Beyond World' s End" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

unspoken plea in the elf's emerald-green eyes.
"Do not allow pride to keep you from seeking your friends if you need help."
Eric shook his shaggy head; haircuts had not been a priority either Underhill or at the Faire, and
he didn't want to do anything about the length of his mane just yet. "Believe me, Elfhame
Everforest is the first place I'll head for if I get into trouble," he promised. "Now, you two--
;go! If you don't make some tracks, you won't reach Sterling Forest before sunset, elvensteeds or
no elvensteeds, and this is going to be your last Renfaire gig before the baby comes. I think I
can manage to move my last two bags into an apartment without help--;and take care of myself once
I've settled in."
They'd been staying with Bonnie and Kit up in Inwood--;a comic book writer and a Witch that Beth
knew from years ago--;while Eric and Beth made the many purchases necessary to turn a rented
apartment into a home--;and waited the several weeks for delivery of the furniture! Eric wasn't
displeased to have the transition time: living Underhill for an extended period made returning to
the World Above a distinct shock. And no place else, in Underhill or the World Above, was quite
like New York City. It made even the Chaos Lands seem quiet.
Beth paused to hug him once more. "You know, I think you can," she admitted, looking just a little
tearful. "And maybe that's the scariest part of all. You don't need us anymore."
There wasn't any reply he could make to that statement--;there was enough truth in it to sting--
;so Eric didn't bother to try. Instead, he picked up his bags and moved away from the curb,
walking backwards, as Kory and Beth mounted their sleek, exotic motorcycles.
A third bike already resided in the tiny parking lot behind the building, and Eric had no fear
that anyone was going to steal it. For one thing, they wouldn't be able to find a starter or a
place to hotwire it. For another, she wouldn't let them. Lady Day was an elvensteed, and could
take any form she chose. Eric didn't really ride her, she carried him; he could go to sleep while
riding her and she would get him safely to his destination no matter what the conditions were. She
could take any shape he wanted her to--;he'd heard that there were even elves in other Elfhames
that had elvensteeds the shape of racing cars, though frankly Eric would believe that when he saw
it.
His mind was already running ahead, into his future here. He preferred her as a motorcycle, and
Lady Day preferred to take that form, but as soon as the weather turned, she was going to have to
take on the form of a little econobox car, unless he intended to take the subway across town to


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Juilliard. She wasn't looking forward to that, and frankly, neither was he, but that was the price
he paid for returning to Juilliard--;East Coast winters.
Maybe I can have her clone a Kia, a Neon or a sporty little Isuzu 4x4 instead.
That wouldn't be too out-of-keeping with my cover story, Eric thought hopefully.
It had been so long since he'd had to worry about money at all that he wasn't too sure he
remembered the gory details. I can always say I put the bike in storage for the winter. Nobody at
Juilliard is likely to know enough about cars to wonder how I can keep a maintenance hog fuelled
and running!
Eric paused at the front door of the building for a last look back. Beth and Kory had donned their
helmets, and "started" the bikes, thus making further conversation a moot point. The elvensteeds
not only knew enough to counterfeit the roar of powerful motorcycle engines, they seemed to enjoy
doing so. The two riders, anonymous now in their matching helmets and leathers, pulled neat little
reversal moves that got them going in the right direction on the street with an appropriate amount
of tire spin and smoke. They waved, and Eric tucked one bag under his arm and freed up a hand to