"Morressy, John - NestEgg" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morressy John)

"But all that gold. . . ."

Princess said, "It's not as though he'll eat the gold, or squander it foolishly.
It will all be right there in his shed."

"That's true," said Thrymm without much enthusiasm.

"And well guarded," Princess added. "Too well guarded," said Tyasan.

"If you really need it, Ty, I'm sure Cecil will let you have some," the queen
said.

Tyasan looked at his wife, his face a mask of gloom. "I know you're trying to
console me, Thrymmie dear, but it's unpleasant for a king to contemplate asking
household help for a loan. It's demeaning."

A long silence followed, broken at last by Kedrigern. Putting his fingertips
together, gazing into the middle distance, speaking in the manner of one
expounding an interesting speculation, he said, "Since Cecil is in the
nest-building mood, it probably won't be long before he's ready to settle down.
He'll return to Scythia to seek a mate --"

"What will I do for protection?" Tyasan cried. "Without Cecil, I'll have to hire
an army! Either way, I'm ruined."

"Cecil will be back. He's very content here, and I doubt he'd leave the
children. With a family to look after, he'll want to build a bigger nest. That
means --"

"That means I'll have to find even more gold!" Tyasan wailed, burying his face
in his hands.

"Griffins are proud creatures. He'll go out and get it himself. Lots and lots of
it. Griffins know where to find gold. And if Eldry and Ashel ask him nicely --"

"He'd do anything for the children," Thrymm said.

"-- I'm sure he'll bring back a barrel or two for them. . . ."

Tyasan looked up. His expression was that of a man who had clutched at the last
straw and caught the whole bale.

". . . And their parents," Kedrigern concluded.