"Christopher Stasheff - Warlock 08 - The Warlock Heretical" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stasheff Christopher)

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Christopher Stasheff

The Warlock Heretical

1
"One... two... threeтАФshoot!"
Four small fists swept down into a circleтАФand changed form. One turned into a rock, one turned
into a pair
of scissors, and two turned into sheets of paper.
"I win!" cried Cordelia. "Scissors cut paper!"
"Nay, / win!" Geoffrey corrected. "Stone doth dull scissors!"
"Then we two do win, " Magnus pointed out, "sin that paper doth wrap stone. "
"Yet I then win, after all!" Cordelia maintained, "for my scissors will cut thy paper from off
this stone!"
"We all do win. " Little Gregory beamed. " Tis fine. "
"Nay, 'tis horrible!" Geoffrey's chin jutted out. "If all win, none win!"
"Thou wouldst think thus!" Cordelia snapped.
"Only a lass could ha' thought of so silly a game at the outset!" Geoffrey retorted. "Who e'er did
hear of
playing 'Scissors, Stone, and Paper' with more than two?"
"You must not let newness itself keep you from attempting new ideas, Geoffrey. " The voice was in
the
children's minds, not their ears, and it came from a huge black horse that stood nearby, watching.
"Still, in
practice it proves to have been less than effective. "
"Any could see it would not work, Fess!"


"Not that thou didst attempt it with any great effort. " Cordelia glared at Geoffrey. "I could see
thy fist through
thy rock. "
"Thou couldst not! Yet I did see two fingers on thine hand, with but the barest suggestion of
paired blades!"
" Tis a lie!" Cordelia squawked.
"Children, children!" Fess reproved. "Please limit your use of hyperbole. "
" 'Twill avail naught, Fess, " Magnus said wearily. "They persist, though they know full well that
Gregory doth
cast the best illusions of us all. "
"I know naught of the sort!" Geoffrey glared at Gregory, who shrank back wide-eyed.
" Tis trueтАФthou knowest naught, " Cordelia agreed.
"Wilt thou not cease!" Magnus cried. "Art thou so desperate for summat to do that thou must needs
quarrel to
pass the time?"
Cordelia subsided, glaring, but Geoffrey only shrugged. "Wherefore not? Or wouldst thou prefer
combat,
brother?"
Magnus gave him a slow grin. "Assuredly, an thou art foolish enough to attempt it. Wilt thou
wrestle or box?"