"Christopher Stasheff - Rogue Wizard 07 - A Wizard In Midgard" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stasheff Christopher)

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Gar was certainly seeing the world of Seigfried, and was regretting every minute
of it-but he and Herkime had tried to reason out the social conditions on the
plane from the evidence of what they had seen, until Herkimer had finally said,
"There simply is not enough information to justify any conclusions about this
culture, Magnus."
"Other than that we need more information," Magnu said with a wry smile. "Still,
we've seen two battles producign dead bodies in a very short space of time. I
think constant warfare is reason enough to help these people make a change in
their form of government, don't you?"
"Help, or incite?" The computer was capable of recognizing irony, if not actual
humor. "Provisionally, I would have to agree. After all, you have engineered one
peaceful revolution already-why not start a revolution to bring peace? But if
the tallest and shortest of the Midlanders are really locked in to slavery and
the misery that almost always accompanies it, would say that was an even
stronger reason."
"War and slavery," Magnus said grimly. "I've helped people who were worse off,
but this is surely bad enough. Yes, I think it's time for Gar Pike to conduct a
fact-finding mission."
And the first fact he had to find was whether or not the people of Siegfried
were really as miserable as he thoughtor if he was reading his own desire for
purpose into their situation.
"Where do you wish to land, Magnus?"
"Near the border of the land of the medium-sized people," Gar said. "Since they
seem to be fighting both of the other nations, they should give me the best
chance of understanding the whole situation at one experience."
"You might not fit in," Herkimer warned him, "and might not be accepted. In
fact, they might take you for an enemy. After all, you are a giant among your
own kind, or have been on every planet you have visited."
Magnus was broad in proportion to his seven feet of height, constant exercise
and martial arts practice having made him very muscular.
"I shall prepare the appropriate garments, Magnus," the computer told him. "You
will find them in the wardrobe of your sleeping chamber."
"Thank you, Herkimer." Magnus rose and went to his suite, to enjoy what might
well be his last civilized shower for a very long time.
Dinner was served by two women from the farmhouse kitchen, from huge buckets
carried by two of the oversized men. Gar expected the slaves to race clamoring
to the doorway and fight one another to be first, but they only pulled wooden
bowls from their pallets and lined up. Their eyes bulged and their mouths
watered, but no one pushed his way past anyone else. Gar was especially
surprised that none of the semi-giants kicked any of the small people out of
line, and the few who tried it were shoved back into place and scolded soundly
by the nearest of their fellow huge ones. Gar took his place at the end of the
queue, even though his stomach growled and his mouth fairly ached with
hunger-but he knew he had eaten better than any of them, and probably just as
recently."
He studied the line, trying to figure out how they decided who had what place.
He would have expected the smaller people to either have to accept last place,