"William Forstchen - Magic The Gathering - Arena" - читать интересную книгу автора (Forstchen William R)

strutted so haughtily only moments before, looked back and forth and then toward Okmark.

“Do you want it?” Okmark said softly and, as he spoke, he stepped back into the neutral square at the
edge of the circle, indicating his willingness to fight again. Gray hesitated and then, with an angry curse,
he reached into his satchel, pulled out an amulet, and threw it to the ground at Orange’s feet. Turning, he
fled the circle, pummeled by the crowd, who showered him with curses, mud, offal, and kicks.

Okmark, with a disdainful gesture, reached down and picked up the amulet that had controlled the spell
of the undead. He looked over at the boy holding his cloak and took it back. The boy stood waiting,
expecting a reward, but Orange ignored him.

The crowd was silent and Garth looked around. The gambler had moved to one side of the Orange
fighter and Garth saw the flicker of recognition between the two.

Garth moved to the edge of the circle.

“Pay the boy for his services,” Garth said, his voice carrying through arguments breaking out around the
circle as the mob hotly discussed the fight they had just witnessed.

Orange looked over at Garth and instantly there was silence.

“You pay him if you care so much about it,” Orange replied.

“If you don’t feel like paying him,” Garth said, a smile creasing his features, “perhaps your friend over
there might spare some of the money you won.” As he spoke Garth pointed at the gambler.

All eyes turned on the gambler, who stood silent for a moment. The man finally reached into his purse,
pulled out a silver coin, and threw it into the circle.

“Your winnings, One-eye,” the gambler announced. “Take it and pay him with that.”

Without hesitating, Garth stepped into the circle and a low gasp echoed through the crowd. The raggedy
man started to dance excitedly.

“He stepped into the circle; a challenge, a challenge!”

The crowd started to pick up the chant and the gambler smiled.

Garth leaned down, picked the coin up, and, wiping the mud off, pocketed it.

“I still believe you owe the boy a reward,” Garth said.

Okmark looked at him with a cool, superior disdain.

“Spoken in the circle, that’s a challenge,” Okmark replied. “I think, One-eye, that it’d be safer for you
to leave now before you get hurt.”

Garth slowly took his cloak off and, as he did so, he stepped backward into the square at the edge of the
circle. He held his cloak out and saw that the boy he had been arguing about was there to take it.