"Robert Weinberg - Logical Magician 01 - A Logical Magician" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weinberg Robert)

LIVING LEGEND

"Make yourself comfortable, Jack," said the man,
casually waving to a chair in front of his desk. "We have a
lot to discuss.... I think you're the man we need."
Jack grinned. Today was his lucky day.
He sobered almost instantly. There had been no
mention of salary. Or exactly what position he was being
offered.
"How does a thousand dollars a week sound?" said the
bearded man, as if reading Jack's mind.
"A thousand a week?" repeated Jack, stunned. "For
doing what, Mr. Ambrose?"
"The forces of darkness and everlasting night are rising
in our city. Civilization is terribly threatened. Humanity
needs a champion to battle them. You're that man, Jack.
And there's no reason for you to use the Ambrose alias. I
prefer my real name. Call me Merlin."
"Merlin?" asked Jack, still reeling over the bearded
man's initial remarks. "Like the famous magician of King
Arthur's court?"
The bearded man laughed. "Like him? You
misunderstand, Jack. I am him . I am the legendary Merlin
the Magician."



A LOGICAL
MAGICIAN
Robert
Weinberg
Copyright ┬й 1994 by Robert Weinberg
Cover Art by Peter Scanlan
ISBN 0-441-00059-2

cogito ergo sum
(I think, therefore I exist)
тАФDESCARTES

factlis descensus Averno
(the descent to hell is easy)
тАФVIRGIL

Prologue
R oger Quinn considered himself a very careful man. Each morning, while still lying in
bed, he planned out his day's activities in excruciatingly fine detail. Afterward, he followed
that outline in strict order, refusing to deviate one whit from the proper routine. Twenty
years of computer programming had instilled in Roger an appreciation for exactness. He
thought his actions perfectly normal and extremely logical.
Such a rigid adherence to schedule caused numerous problems for those who had