"Huff, Tanya - We Two May Meet" - читать интересную книгу автора (Huff Tanya)

Kali opened her mouth to answer, but a raised hand and a scarlet flush on the wizard's cheeks cut her off.
"Never mind. How can she take a chance like that? He might not be a mere delivery boy, he could easily be our enemy attempting to take us unawares. He could be the wizard who divided us, arriving to check on our weakened condition." Magdelene-two leaped to her feet. "He could have weapons designed to destroy us!"
The demon placed her hand on the wizard's shoulder and pushed her back down into the chair. "I believe he was searched quite thoroughly," she said.
Magdelene-two looked up from placing her folded clothing neatly into a chest and clutched at her voluminous nightshirt. "What do you think you're doing here?"
"It's my bedroom."
"Excuse me, I believe that it's my bedroom."
"Whatever." Magdelene-one shrugged. "It's a big bed." She began to work at the laces on her vest.
"I am not sharing this bed with you."
"You're not my first choice either but . . ." The vest hit the floor, quickly followed by the skirt. ". . . so what. It's late. I'm sleepy. And this is my bed."
"You can sleep in one of the spare rooms."
"I don't want to." She kicked her crumpled clothes into a corner. "Besides, I have dibs. I'm clearly the original."
"And how do you figure that?"
"I have all the dominant character traits."
"You're a lazy, lecherous slob!"
"I rest my case." Triumphant, she dropped onto the bed. "And you're only angry because you know I'm ri . . . HEY!"
Releasing her double's ankle, Magdelene-two stepped back and pointed toward the door. "Out. Now."
Magdelene-one scrambled up off the floor. "You shouldn't have done that."
"Really? What were you planning to d ... AWK!" Pressed up against the back wall, she struggled to get an arm free.
"I plan to get some sleep if you'd just shu . . . OW!
For every offense, an equal defense. For every spell, a counter-spell. For every pillow slammed into a face or across the back of a head, there was a pillow slammed in return. The pillows were, by far, getting the worst of it.
The villagers stared up at the lights and noises coming from the house of the most powerful wizard in the world and they wondered. Some wondered what fell enchantments were afoot. Most wondered why they hadn't been invited to the party. One wondered why the ground seemed to be shaking slightly. . . .
The impact shook the house and knocked both Magdelenes to their knees, hands buried in each other's hair.
"Now what have you done," Magdelene-two demanded, eyes wild.
"Wasn't me," her double denied hurriedly. "It must have been you."
"Well, it wasn't. Unlike some people, I maintain perfect control at all times."
"So, if I didn't do it and you're maintaining perfect control," Magdelene-one mocked. "Who's doing all the bang . . ."
The second impact was more violent than the first.
The wizards' eyes widened simultaneously and together they raced for the hall.
Unencumbered by the tangled ruin of a nightshirt, Magdelene-one reached the door first and threw it open, peering down the long, long flight of stairs that led to the Netherhells. Swinging free, the door began to tremble.
"DUCK!"
After the impact the two wizards lifted their heads to peer wide-eyed at the object embedded in the wall. It was a large bone, almost five feet long and a hands' span in diameter. Crude sigils had been carved around the curve of the visible end.
"That can't be good," Magdelene-one observed, standing.
Gaining her feet a moment later, Magdelene-two crossed to the bone. "It appears that one of the demon princes is attempting to breach the door. This sigil here is the sign of Ter'Poe, and this the sign of conquest, and this . . ." She tapped her finger lightly against another. "This is what appears to be a corrupted version of my name with certain Midworld influences apparently creeping into the actual lines and curves."
The other wizard gave an exaggerated yawn. "Even facing potential disaster you're boring."
"Potential disaster, Mistresses?"
They turned together to face the housekeeper.
"You don't think an invasion by the Netherhells where we all end up murdered in our beds and all manner of evils like sloth and gluttony ..." Magdelene-two paused long enough to glare at her double. ". . . run loose in the world is a disaster?"
"I merely question your use of the word 'potential,' Mistress.
If their missile was able to reach the house, they are already through the door."
On cue: the distant sound of pounding footsteps rose from below.
Magdelene-one scratched thoughtfully. "At the risk of repeating myself, that can't be good."
"You idiot!" Magdelene-two charged across to the open door and lifted both hands to shoulder height, palms out, fingers spread. "And while the darkness from the deep doth into this world try to creep, I raise my powers from their sleep ..."
"What are you doing?"
"Stopping an invasion by the Netherhells!"
"With bad poetry?" Accepting a dressing gown from Kali, Magdelene-one belted it on then pointed down the stairs. "Go home."
"Ow!" The exclamation was distant but unmistakable. The footsteps paused.
And then they began again.
"That can't be . . ."
"Yes, we all know. That can't be good. Stop repeating yourself and start throwing things at them before we're horribly killed and responsible for the deaths of thousands."
"I don't think . . ."