"Jack Vance - Green Magic" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vance Jack)

there are qualities more or less speculative, such as--"

Jaadian interrupted. "These qualities and characteristics we will confer upon you. In return you will
undertake never again to disturb the green realm. You will evade centuries of toil; we will be spared the
nuisance of your presence, and the inevitable tragedy."

"Tragedy?" inquired Fair in wonder. "Why tragedy?"

Jaadian spoke in a deep reverberating voice. "You are a man of Earth. Your goals are not our goals.
Green magic makes you aware of our goals."

Fair thoughtfully sipped his highball. "I can't see that this is a disadvantage. I am willing to submit to the
discipline of instruction. Surely a knowledge of green magic will not change me into a different entity?"

"No. And this is the basic tragedy!"

Misthemar spoke in exasperation. "We are forbidden to harm lesser creatures, and so you are fortunate;
for to dissolve you into air would end all the annoyance."



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 Green Magic

Fair laughed. "I apologize again for making such a nuisance of myself. But surely you understand how
important this is to me?"

Jaadian asked hopefully, "Then you agree to our offer?"

Fair shook his head. "How could I live, forever young, capable of extended learning, but limited to
knowledge which I already see bounds to? I would be bored, restless, miserable."

"That well may be," said Jaadian. "But not so bored, restless and miserable as if you were learned in
green magic."

Fair drew himself erect. "I must learn green magic. It is an opportunity which only a person both torpid
and stupid could refuse."

Jaadian sighed. "In your place I would make the same response." The sprites rose to their feet. "Come
then, we will teach you."

"Don't say we didn't warn you," said Misthemar.



Time passed. Sunset waned and twilight darkened. A man walked up the stairs, entered Howard Fair's
apartment. He was tall, unobtrusively muscular. His face was sensitive, keen, humorous; his left thumb-
nail glistened green.

Time is a function of vital processes. The people of Earth had perceived the motion of their clocks. On