"Lewis Padgett - A Gnome There Was (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Padgett Lewis)

the tunnel.
"Well, you're a gnome now," he said. "It's the Nid law. Sometimes I wonder if
it's worth the trouble. But I suppose it isтАФsince gnomes can't propagate, and
the average population has to be kept up somehow."
"I want to die," Crockett said wildly.
Gru Magru laughed. "Gnomes can't die. They're immortal, till the Day. Judgment
Day, I mean."
"You're not logical," Crockett pointed out, as though by disproving one factor
he could automatically disprove the whole fantastic business. "You're either
flesh and blood and have to die eventually, or you're not, and then you're not
real."
"Oh, we're flesh and blood, right enough." Gru Magru said. "But were not
mortal. There's a distinction. Not that I've anything against some mortals,"
he hastened to explain. "Bats, nowтАФand owlsтАФthey're fine. But men!" He
shuddered. "No gnome can stand the sight of a man."
Crockett clutched at a straw. "I'm a man."
"You were, you mean," Gru said. "Not a very good specimen, either, for my ore.
But you're a gnome now. It's the Nid law."
"You keep talking about the Nid law," Crockett complained.
"Of course you don't understand," said Gru Magru, in a patronizing fashion.
"It's this way. Back in ancient times, it was decreed that if any humans got
lost in underearth, a tithe of them would be transformed into gnomes. The
first gnome emperor, Podrang the Third, arranged that. He saw that fairies
could kidnap human children and keep them, and spoke to the authorities about
it. Said it was unfair. So when miners and such-like are lost underearth, a
tithe of them are transformed into gnomes and join us. That's what happened to
you. See?"
"No," Crockett said weakly. "Look. You said Podrang was the first gnome
emperor. Why was he called Podrang the Third?"
"No time for questions," Gru Magru snapped. "Hurry!"
He was almost running now, dragging the wretched Crockett after him. The new
gnome had not yet mastered his rather unusual limbs, and, due to the extreme
wideness of his sandals, he was continually stepping on his own feet. Once he
trod heavily on his right hand, but after that learned to keep his arms bent
and close to his sides. The walls, illuminated with that queer silvery
radiance, spun past dizzily.
"W-what's that light?" Crockett managed to gasp. "Where's it coming from?"
"Light?" Gru Magru inquired. "It isn't light."
"Well, it isn't darkтАФ"
"Of course it's dark," the gnome snapped. "How could we see if it wasn't
dark?"
There was no possible answer to this, except, Crockett thought wildly, a
frantic shriek. And he needed all his breath for running. They were in a
labyrinth now, turning and twisting and doubling through innumerable tunnels,
and Crockett knew he could never retrace his steps. He regretted having left
the scene of the cave-in. But how could he have helped doing so?
"Hurry!" Gru Magru urged. "Hurry!"
"Why?" Crockett got out breathlessly.
"There's a fight going on!" the gnome said.