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

"Peace, good Morag," Gorkin grumbled. "What I believe of him and how I may treat
him have to be two different things. You know the law."
"Yes, and know there's reason behind it," Morag sighed She said to Gar, "I
regret it, foreigner, but we can't risk a spy coming into our town to creep out
and let a Midgard army in. Besides, if we took you, we'd have to take that woman
we just left on the road, too, and the next one we found, and the next and the
next. First thing, there'd be more Midgarders than giants, and we'd have to flee
our own homes."
"I understand, I understand." Gar stood amazed at the kindness of these people,
who actually apologized for not giving hospitality to a potential enemy!
"You go on back to Midgard, and tell them the giants threw you out," Gorkin said
gruffly. "Likely they'll find you a place among them then."
"Yes, as a slave," Jorak said darkly.
"Might be, might be," Gorkin agreed heavily. "Still, that's better than
wandering the wild lands with everyone's spear against you, isn't it?"
"No!" both boys said together, and Gorkin looked down at them, amazed.
"They're right," Gar said. "I've seen what slaves go through in Midgard. I was
lucky to escape. Better to have everyone's sword against me in the wild. After
all, out here, I'm allowed to fight back."
"Is it so bad as that?" Gorkin asked, shaken, then shook his head in sorrow and
anger. "And they call themselves the only human folk, these Midgarders!" He look
down at Gar, deeply troubled. "We'll bid you farewell, then, foreigner, and wish
you well, but that's all we can do."
"Why, fare you well. too, then," Gar said, "and may your gods smile upon you."
The giants all stared at him in surprise. Then Gorkin broke into a smile. "A
Midgarder wishing a blessing on usl Might be hope for this world yet! Well,
stranger, may all your gods smile on you, too!"
They went past, and some turned back to wave. Gar returned the wave, staring
after them, feeling numb and very unreal. He had to remind himself that he
hadn't just lived through a dream, that these were genuine people who had talked
to him, actual giants, or as close to the fairy-tale variety as anyone could
ever be.
He forced himself to turn away and start walking again, in the direction from
which the giants had come. Go back to Midgard? That would have been extremely
foolish. Still, Gar very much wanted to do just that-go back to Midgard, and
start preaching. If he were going to have a chance of ending the constant wars,
he would have to gain the acceptance of all three nations. The giants had been
so polite that he thought they would at least listen to any ideas he gave them,
but if the Midgarders were so fanatical as to cast out their own children for
growing too big, seven-foot-tall Gar was going to find it almost impossible to
manage even a parley.
He reflected that Dirk Dulaine, his erstwhile companion, would have been welcome
in Midgard society, and could have brought Gar in as his simpleton slave, a role
Gar had played with Dirk more than once-but Dirk wasn't here, and Gar would have
to find a way to the Midgarders' ears on his own. That reminded him of good
times with his friend, of shared dangers and shared glory, and of his
bittersweet joy at seeing Dirk marry the woman he loved, then the poignancy of
their goodbye as Gar left their planet, alone. He felt a pang of loneliness, and
wished he could find love as Dirk had, but knew he was too big, too taciturn,
too ominous, too homely, and too reticent.