"David Gerrold - The Flying Sorcerers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gerrold David)

checking her cubs, he moved from device to device, peering into one, resetting
another, reciting strange sounds over a third.
I cast a glance at Shoogar; I could see a careful tightening at the corners of
his mouth. Indeed, even his beard seemed clenched. I feared that a duel would
start before the stranger could offer Shoogar a gift. Something had to be done
to prevent Shoogar from a rash and possibly regrettable action.
I stepped forward boldly. "Ahem," I began. "Ahem. I dislike to interrupt you
while you are so obviously busy, but that bluff is sacred to Musk-Watz. It
took many cycles to construct the pattern of spells which ..."
The magician looked up and seemed to notice us for the first time. He became
strangely agitated. Taking a quick step toward us, he made a straight-armed
gesture, palms open to us, and spoke quick tense words in a language I had
never heard. Instantly, I threw myself flat on the ground, arms over my head.
Nothing happened.
When I looked up, Shoogar was still beside the other bicycle with his arms
outstretched in a spell-breaking pattern. Either the stranger's spell had
miscarried, or Shoogar had blocked it. The stranger threw no more spells.
Instead, he backed toward his oddly shaped nest, never taking his eyes from
us. He continued his strange words, but now they were slow and low pitched,
like the tone one uses to calm an uneasy animal. He disappeared into his nest
and all was quiet and blue.
Except for the crackle of cooling rock which still reached across the canyon
to remind us that Musk-Watz had been defiled.
-----
I TURNED to Shoogar, "This could be serious."
"Lant, you are a fool. This is already serious."
"Can you handle this new magician?"
Shoogar grunted noncommittally, and I was afraid. Shoo-gar was good; if he
were not sure of his skill here, the whole village might be in danger.
I started to voice my fears, but the stranger abruptly re-appeared carrying
another of his metal and bone carved devices. This one was smaller than the
rest and had slender rods sticking out on all sides. I did not like its looks.
It reminded me of some of the more unpleasant devices that I had seen during
the dark years.
The magician watched us all the time he was setting it up on its three slender
legs. As he turned it to face us I tensed.
It began to make a humming noise, like the sound of a water harp when a string
bow is drawn across its glass tubes. The humming rose in pitch until it began
to sound disturbingly like that of the device of the red fire. I began gauging
the distance between myself and a nearby boulder.
The stranger spoke impatiently to us in his unknown tongue.
"You are discourteous," rumbled Shoogar. This business can wait, surely?"
The spell device said, "Surely?"
I landed behind the boulder. Shoogar stood his ground. "Surely," he repeated
firmly. "You violate custom. In this, my district, you must gift me with one
new spell, one I have never seen. Were I in your district-"
The spell device spoke again. Its intonation was terrifying and inhuman. "New
spell gift -- never known -- surely."
I realized that the stranger had spoken first. His device was attempting to
speak for him, but in our words. Shoogar saw it too, and was reassured. The