"John Morressy - Cold Comfort" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morressy John)

as cold as a tomb, took three enormous volumes from the shelves, and hurried back
to the warmth of the hearth. There he settled to begin his search.

His first resource was the much-thumbed Spells for Every Occasion. Under
the rubric of Summonings he found the spell entitled тАЬTo Summon Up An
Unidentified Essence, Either Dead, Distant, Or Sleeping, For Informational
Purposes.тАЭ Preparation for this one took time, but it was a good dependable spell.
He set to work at once.

By the time the ring was drawn and the candles lit and placed in proper
position, the room was pleasantly warm. Rubbing his hands briskly together,
Kedrigern cleared his throat and began to recite the spell. When he was done, he
waited, his eyes fixed on the center of the ring, where the figure he had summoned
would soon manifest itself. But nothing appeared. He waited, his patience ebbing,
and at last a deep hollow voice intoned, тАЬThe essence you seek is not available for
summoning.тАЭ

This was most unusual. тАЬThen tell me the name of this essence,тАЭ said the
wizard.

тАЬI cannot reveal that information.тАЭ

Kedrigern bit his lip and took a deep breath. It did not do to shout at spirits,
however trying their ways. тАЬAll right, then, show me a likeness.тАЭ

тАЬI cannot reveal that information, either.тАЭ

тАЬWell, reveal something! I want to know who came into my house and carried
off my wife and house-troll, and I worked this spell to find out. So far youтАЩve been
no help at all.тАЭ

After a very long pause, the voice said, тАЬThis spell has been blocked. I
suggest you try another.тАЭ

тАЬWho blocked it?тАЭ

тАЬI cannot reveal that information.тАЭ

With an exasperated growl, Kedrigern blew out the candles. Muttering under
his breath, he returned to his speller, leafed through the pages, and came to the
section Identifications, which contained a single spell. He groaned. Any spell of such
a general nature was sure to involve a tedious and confusing menu of options. But
there was no avoiding it. Identification of the footprints would narrow his search
considerably. Should have begun with this one, he told himself peevishly as he
redrew the ring and set up the requisite twelve candles in facing pairs.

This time the response was quicker. A voice higher than the first, flat and
impersonal, said, тАЬThank you for using Identifications. If you wish identification of a
person, blow out the first candle on your left. If you wish identification of an animal,
blow out the second candle on your left. If you wish identification of an inanimate