"Stasheff, Christopher - Warlock 07 - The Warlock Heretical" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stasheff Christopher)

Christopher Stasheff

The Warlock Heretical

1
"One... two... threeЧshoot!"
Four small fists swept down into a circleЧand 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 trueЧthou 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?"
"Nay!" Cordelia cried. "Thou knowest what Mama hath told thee of fighting!"
"We do but practice. " Geoffrey unbuttoned his doublet. "Let us grappleЧ'tis hot weather. "
"Let them go, Cordelia, " Fess advised. "It will channel their excess energyЧand, to some extent, boys need to
wrangle. "
Magnus grinned, pulling his doublet off. "I warn thee, brother, I've weight and height on thee. "
"Yet I have the skill, " Geoffrey retorted.
"Thou must needs stop!" Cordelia cried. "Even Papa would... " Her voice trailed off in despair as her brothers
started circling each other, crouching. "Oh! Gregory, canst thou think of naught to stop them.... Gregory! Where
hast thou fled?"
Magnus looked up, startled, the match forgotten in a sudden surge of concern.
Geoffrey saw the opening and dived in to catch Magnus's knee and pull hard with a yowl of victory. Magnus
slammed down backwards. "Geoffrey!" Fess scolded. "Foul!"