"John Morressy - Reflection" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morressy John)

"Moggropple's was a unique problem. And it involved five mirrors. This is only a
single mirror, and all it does is talk."

"I don't care. I don't want a tricky mirror around the house."

Crestfallen, Kedrigern said, "I thought that something like this might be nice
for those times when I'm away on business and you have no one to talk to but
Spot."

"I appreciate the thought, but no." She took his hand, smiled to soothe his
feelings, and said, "Anyway, talking mirrors must be very rare. And terribly
expensive."

Kedrigern gestured airily. "I got this one for a song. An incantation, actually.
Against pains in the joints."

"Well, you won't find another on such terms, I'm sure. Besides, I'd sooner talk
to Spot when you're away than to a mirror," said Princess.

"Whatever you say, my dear. But as long as it's here, why don't you take a
look."

She smoothed down her dark blue gown, straightened her coronet, and stepped
before the mirror. She half turned, fluttered her wings, then rose from the
floor and did a slow pirouette.

"It's a very nice mirror," she said.

"Say something to it."

She frowned. "What does one say to a mirror?"

"How about 'Here's looking at you'?"

Princess gave him a pained glance. She pursed her lips thoughtfully, and after a
time said, "Mirror, how do I look?"

The surface of the mirror shimmered like a pool in a gentle breeze. Colors
flashed and flickered across it, then slowly faded. A silvery voice said, "How
do you look? Very good, for a woman your age."

Princess's hand shot up, snatched the cloth, and flung it over the face of the
mirror. "That will be quite enough out of you," she snapped in a voice cold
enough to frost the glass. Turning to Kedrigern, she said, "A hand mirror will
suffice. A silent one," and fluttered from the room.

"As you wish, my dear," he called after her.
He was relieved by her decision. An attractive and serviceable hand mirror was
easily obtained. Talking mirrors were hard to come by and very nearly priceless,