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

object тАФтАЭ

The voice stopped abruptly as Kedrigern blew out the third candle on his left.
After a brief pause, a different voice said, тАЬWelcome to Identification of an
Inanimate Object. If the object you wish identified is smaller than a cauldron, blow
out the first candle on your right. If it is larger than a cauldron but smaller than тАФтАЭ

Kedrigern blew out the proper candle, sighed, and waited. A nasal voice said,
тАЬPlease name the object you wish identified.тАЭ

тАЬThe magical footprints within the circle.тАЭ

тАЬOne moment, please.тАЭ

After a long delay followed by anxious background whispering, the same
voice, now petulant, said, тАЬPlease stand by. We have encountered difficulties.тАЭ

тАЬWhat sort of difficulties.?тАЭ

тАЬThe footsteps are those of an ancient crone, but they appear to have been
made by a frost giant.тАЭ

Kedrigern thought for a moment, then said, тАЬMaybe the frost giant was a
shapechanger. Some of them are, you know.тАЭ

A long pause, then the nasal voice said, тАЬThat is possible.тАЭ

тАЬItтАЩs more than possible, itтАЩs very likely. This house was colder than itтАЩs ever
been. Frost giants have that effect, even when theyтАЩre in another shape.тАЭ

тАЬIf you are satisfied with the identification, we will terminate the search.тАЭ

Kedrigern was not at all satisfied. But he did not expect to learn anything
more, and so he muttered, тАЬYes, yes, go ahead, terminate.тАЭ The room was still once
more.

A frost giant was a bad person to encounter, especially when he was also a
shapechanger. Frost giants had all sorts of nasty magic, and they lived in terrible
places full of snow and ice and unrelenting wind that somehow managed to be
always blowing in oneтАЩs face. That was the limit of KedrigernтАЩs knowledge on the
subject, and the available literature was skimpy. But if a frost giant had carried off
Princess and Spot, there was nothing for it but to head north and prepare for a battle
of magics. Someone was going to pay for this, and pay dearly.

He dug out his warmest cloak, gloves, and boots, and the Cap of Comfort
given him by a grateful client many decades ago and seldom used. It was a tiny
skullcap, no bigger than the palm of his hand, which conferred a comfortable climate
on the wearer in any weather. Unaccustomed to wearing headgear, he seldom used it.
Now it might come in handy.