"Xanth 18 - Geis Of The Gargoyle" - читать интересную книгу автора (Xanth)

1

GARY GAR

The demoness formed into smoke, and then into an
insidiously lovely (if you like that type) human-
style woman. Her face was unutterably fair, her hair
flowed like honey, her bosom was so full and well-formed
that it was probably sinful just to look at it, and the rest of
her was moreso. But there was something odd about her
apparel.

She eyed the creature sitting in the dry riverbed, who
was about as opposite from her as it was possible to be.
"My, you're an ugly customer," she remarked.

"Thank you," the thing replied gruffly.

"You can speak!" she said, surprised.

"Only when I make the effort."

She walked around it. Her dainty delicate feet did not
quite touch the ground, but the ground here was so
scabbed and messy that this was just as well. She peered
closely at every detail. "You have a face like a cross be-
tween a lion and an ape, with the worst features of each,
and with an extremely big mouth formed into a perpet-
ual 0. You have a grotesque compact body with an inane

PIERS ANTHONY

tail and four big clumsy feet. And you have a pair of re-
ally ugly stumpy leathery wings. Overall I can't imagine a
worse-looking creature."

"Thank you. You, in contrast, are unconscionably aes-
thetic."

"I'm what?" she asked, frowning.

"Disgustingly pretty."

"Oh. Thank you."

"My statement was not a compliment."

"Well, neither was mine! I have just three questions to
ask of you, monster."