"John Morressy - The Questing Of Kedrigern" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morressy John)

all taste for them," Kedrigern said listlessly.


Princess patted his hand. "All the more reason to have one of our own. You
just leave it all up to me."
They left the dining room, which was a bit more crowded now as the late
arrivals hurried to dine before the best food was gone. A low buzz of subdued
conversation filled the air, louder as they stepped into the busy hall.
Baggage was piled haphazard, and little groups stood about in lively dialogue.
A number of people were standing near the stairway, and as he passed,
Kedrigern heard, "... party in Crollo's room . . . tell the others . . . see
you there," shouted contrapuntually by eager voices. Before he could comment
triumphantly on this to Princess, a young man dashed up and stepped in front
of them.
"I beg your pardon, are you Master Kedrigern? The wizard of Silent Thunder
Mountain?" he asked.
"I am he," Kedrigern replied.
"Are you here representing the guild, Master Kedrigern? I'm on the
committee. We were told there'd be a replacement for Master Hithemils . . .
that he'd had some sort of accident."
"Yes, my wife and I are here for the guild."
"This is really exciting for us, Master Kedrigern! We've heard so much about
youтАФyour petrification of Buroc is a legend!"
A very pretty girl took Kedrigern's arm. "And the way you handled
FingardтАФthat was the most courageous deed I've ever heard of!" she said.
"Fingard wasn't so terrible," Kedrigern said coolly.
 "He was a fire-breathing dragon! And he was injured!" the girl said.
"You just have to show them who's master," Kedrigern said, smiling wisely.
"And GrodzтАФis it true you turned Grodz into a toad?" she asked eagerly.
"It was my wife who did that. Her first really major spell, actually, and it
came off perfectly."
"No one else saw through Quintrindus's machinations. He fooled the whole
guildтАФexcept you. Isn't that so, Master Kedrigern?" broke in a thin, intense
young man at his other side.
"Well . . . Quintrindus was a clever man. He's deceived a great many
people," Kedrigern said.
"But not you," the girl pointed out.


"No, not me," Kedrigern admitted with an easy shrug.
"Master Kedrigern, I know you have an early panel, but if you could spare a
bit of time, we're having a little party tonight, andтАФ" the first young man
began.
Princess's firm voice broke in, and her grip closed on Kedrigern's free arm.
"We're terribly sorry, but Master Kedrigern has a lot of work to do for his
panel tomorrow, and he simply must have a good night's sleep," she said,
sounding very much like the keeper of an absent-minded invalid. "If you'll
excuse us, we'd best be getting to our rooms."
"Maybe tomorrow night . . . ?"
"We'll be hosting the guild's party tomorrow night. I hope you'll all be