"Mary Kirchoff. Kendermore ("Dragonlance Preludes I" #2) (angl)" - читать интересную книгу автора

bones, and this was my lucky one, a beautiful, polished white joint -
it looked just like alabaster. Actually, I didn't lose it. The
Kendermore Council borrowed it, but that's another story entirely and
part of the reason I can't come back tomorrow. So can you help me?
It's really very important, and I'm certain my life is proba bly in
danger."

Totally bewildered, Phineas stared at the kender for a long
time. This Trapspringer Furrfoot looked very cosmopolitan for a
kender. Phineas judged him to be late middle;aged, from the advanced
network of lines on his face, the gray streaks in his copper-red,
featherstudded topknot of hair, and his deepish voice. He wore a very
expensive, flowing cape of purple velvet, so dark it looked black,
with leggings of the same, unusual color. His tunic was pea green, and
a wide, black leather belt hid the beginnings of a paunch. Around his
neck hung a necklace of small, gray-white bones - from what, Phineas
did not wish to contemplate.

Trapspringer's red-and-gray-streaked eyebrows twitched in
curiosity above his almond-shaped, olivecolored eyes.

"Well?" Trapspringer said expectantly, tapping a toe. "Will you
help me or not?"

Phineas was still confused. "You want me to get this bone back
from the council?" he asked stupidly.

"Oh, no, that wouldn't be possible," the kender said firmly.
"What I really need is another minotaur finger bone."

Phineas rubbed his face wearily and plopped down on his padded
stool. He'd lived around kender long enough to know there was going to
be no easy way out of this conversation. "You want me to give you a
minotaur bone," he repeated dully.

"From a finger. I would be most grateful," Trapspringer said,
holding out his hand expectantly. "You see, my old one was my good
luck charm, and I'm certain something dreadful will happen to me
unless I replace it soon."

"You're afraid you'll die without it?" Phineas asked.

"Perhaps, though that's not the most dreadful thing that could
happen. Actually, it might be interesting, depending on how you, you
know, died. Getting run over by a farmer's cart wouldn't be nearly as
fascinat ing as, say, falling off a cliff into the mouth of a lion
who's on fire. Now that would be interesting!" His eyes glowed at the
concept. "Just the same, I don't want to take any chances."

Phineas gave the eccentric kender an odd look. "But I'm not an