"Brian Thomsen - The Nobles 04 - The Mage in the Iron Mask" - читать интересную книгу автора (Thomsen Brian M)

to the mat-ter at hand. The Traveler's Cloak Inn is two doors away, and I have taken the
liberty of changing my reservation from a single to two adjoining rooms. A few hours' rest,
and you will be ripe and ready for some festing tonight. We can talk over old times, have
some new times, and make plans for future times, for tomorrow I must leave."
"You think of everything Mist . . . uh, Volo. But why must you leave so soon?"
"Oh, I'll be back," the traveler answered. "I'll prob-ably even keep the rooms on reserve
until I return. You can, of course, avail yourself of their use in my absence."
"Wonderful!"
Volo smiled at once again hearing his friend's fa-vorite expression, and ushered
Passepout into the best inn in town.
* *
** *
Around Mulmaster,
the Tower of Arcane Might,
and at the Traveler's Cloak Inn:

While the master traveler made arrangements for the next few days of his research, the
pudgy thes-pian spent most of the afternoon sleeping in the most comfortable bed that he
had had the honor of lying in since he left the luxuries of the Bernd estate many months ago.
Volo's research included stopping by the local taverns, inns, and festhalls to gain a few
recommendations for accommodations. He was very careful not to reveal his true identity
everywhere, as some of the establishments would later be graced with an incognito
visitation, by him, for purposes of giving them a fair evaluation for their inclusion in his
upcoming Volo's Guide to the Moonsea.
 Volo also made it a point of checking in at the leg-endary Tower of Arcane Might, the
guild hall for the Brotherhood of the Cloak. Volo had earlier received honorary "Cloak"
status from the Senior Cloak Thurndan Tallwand in exchange for the noted au-thor's silence
concerning the source of various secret entries in his legendarily suppressed work Volo's
Guide to All Things Magical. By checking in infor-mally as an honorary Cloak, the master
traveler hoped to avoid future problems around Mulmaster with its strict rules on magic use,
while also main-taining a low profile that would enable him to come and go as
inconspicuously as possible with the rigid regimens of the often-called City of Danger.
As expected, Tallwand was unavailable, at least according to his secretary.
"I am sorry," said the officious wizard who acted as Tallwand's secretary. "The Senior
Cloak is very busy, and can not see you today."
"That's too bad," Volo, the ever courteous traveler, replied, "but I really did want to say
hello."
"I am afraid that is not possible," the secretary replied, and returned to the work that was
on his desk.
Volo stood for a moment and fingered his beard, the wheels of thought whirring in his
head. He sus-pected that Tallwand was indeed eavesdropping on his conversation with his
wizardly lackey. He just wanted to see him for a moment. He decided it was time to fight
dirty.
In the few moments that Volo took for contempla-tion and cogitation, an older wizard had
entered the Senior Cloak's antechamber. He was a sour old coot who seemed very
impressed with himself. No doubt he was older and stonier than the Tower of Arcane Might
itself.
"Ah, Mage McKern, you are here for your appoint-ment," the lackey recognized. "Let me
just check with the Senior Cloak. I am sure he will be with you momentarily."
Volo sighed loudly and said aloud, "I guess I will have to have the article published without