"Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman - War of Souls 01 - The Search for Magic" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weis Margaret)

Richard Knaak.

In тАЬProduct Given for Service RenderedтАЭ Don Perrin tells the story of two deserters from the
army of the Dark Knights, who plot to rob and murder an old man they meet on the trail.

Kender make a perilous journey to the Gimmenthal Glacier in search of treasure in тАЬDragonтАЩs
ThroatтАЭ by Donald J. Bingle.
 All For A Pint

BRIAN MURPHY


Light from the tavern window illuminated the faces of the two wizards as they peered inside.
StynmarтАЩs chubby cheeks rested against the pane of cracked glass and GrantheousтАЩs beard tickled the
adjacent frame. Fetlin, their apprentice, stood between them, staring into the tavern. All anxiously
awaited the results.

Fetlin ran his fingers through his bright red hair and looked around. His masters shouldnтАЩt be
wandering around the docks of Palanthas, but they had to test the market and both had insisted on
coming. Fetlin fingered the butcherтАЩs knife he had thrust into his belt in case of trouble.

The Two-Handed Mug, like every other tavern located on the docks, smelled of salt and fish and
sweat. The wood floors, made from slats of yellow pine, were discolored by blood and beer, reminding
the patrons fondly of bar fights of old.

Inside, the raucous laughter of the sailors changed to cheers as two minotaurs kicked their chairs back
and tossed a table aside. The minotaurs growled and snorted. Patrons jumped over the bar, where they
could watch in relative safety, or ran out the front door, taking the fight as an opportunity to leave without
paying.

The two minotaurs gave deafening roars and locked horns and arms. The mages looked at each other,
worried. Stynmar shook his head disconsolately. Fetlin, who was supposed to be taking notes, had
trouble telling the minotaurs apart. He saw that one had a scarred lip and the other a nose ring, and he
wrote this down in case it later turned out to be important.

The minotaurs grunted and heaved, each testing the otherтАЩs strength and balance. With a sudden
heave, Lip Scar flipped Nose Ring onto his back. The minotaurs rolled this way and that, knocking over
chairs and tables and sailors, then Lip Scar gained the upper hand. Sitting on top of his opponent, Lip
Scar raised his hands, fingers outstretched, and paused. Excitement hung heavy in the air. Sailors called
out bets. Money changed hands. Lip Scar scanned the crowd, daring anyone to say anything. He
sneered and, reaching down, began to tickle Nose Ring in the ribs.

Nose Ring started to laugh, and soon he was screaming from laughing so hard. He tickled Lip Scar,
who snorted and guffawed. The two minotaurs were having a wonderful time. The sailors looked on, first
in astonishment, then in disgust. They went back to their drinking.

Outside the tavern, Grantheous and Stynmar stared at each other in disbelief.

тАЬMinotaurs tickling each other?тАЭ Stynmar gasped.