"Christopher Stasheff - Warlock 06 - The Warlock Wandering" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stasheff Christopher)

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"NAY, PAPA! I AM too old to need one to guide and ward
me!"

Rod shook his head. "When you're fifteen, maybeтАФ
maybe. But even then, you won't be old enough to take
care of an eight-year-old little brotherтАФnor a ten-year-old,
for that matter. Not to mention a thirteen-year-old sister."

"I am ten already!" The little girl jammed her fists on
her hips and glared up at him with a jutting chin.

Rod turned to her, suppressing a smile, but Gwen was
already chiding gently. "Mayhap when thou art fourteen
years aged, my sweet, and thy brother Magnus is sixteen,
I'll dare leave the others in thy charge. Yet now..." She
turned to Big Brother. "... thou art but twelve."

" Tis a worthy age," Magnus declared. "Assuredly might
I care for myself." He turned back to Rod. "Many another
boy of my age doth already aid his father in plowing, and..."

"Other boys your age are pages, and taking squire lessons
from the local knight." Rod nodded. "But in both cases,
please notice the presence of an adultтАФand those boys
aren't taking care of little brothers and sisters!"

"Enough of such chatter!" A foot and a half of elf stepped
up beside Rod's knee, arms akimbo, frowning up at the
four children. "Be still and heed me, or 'twill be much the
worse for thee!"

Rod had a fleeting vision of coming home to four little
frogs in nightshirts and nightcaps. The children fell silent.
Glowering and truculent, but silent. Even though the small-

4 Christopher Stasheff

est of them was twice Puck's size, they all knew that the
elf's idea of fun could be more devastating than their par-
ents' notion of punishment.

"Thy parents do wish to take an evening to themselves,"
the Puck rumbled, "to think of naught but one another's
company. The coming-together that this allows them is as
much to thy benefit as to theirsтАФand well thou knowest
that they could not thus rejoice in one another's company,
an they were continually concerned over what mishaps might
befall thee. Yet my biding with thee will allow them as-