"John Morressy - Floored" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morressy John)

atrocity. "Grunjak will be Grunjak." No punitive expedition was ever mounted
against him, or suggested. In all likelihood, the idea had never occurred to
anyone. Grunjak was, after all, one of them. Besides, his kingdom was poor and
his treasury, despite his rapacity, was trifling; there was nothing to be gained
by such an action but the satisfaction of doing right, an inducement easily
resisted by the local nobility.

Kedrigern looked up from the letter. "I don't want to try, either. Let him
suffer. He deserves it."

"You must help him. It's your professional duty," Princess said.

"He's a thoroughly rotten, ugly, nasty man."

"You can't expect all your clients to be beautiful unfortunate princesses."

"And why not?"

"Don't be difficult. You're not required to admire your clients, only to help
them."

"I prefer to let Grunjak help himself. He should be good at it -- he's been
helping himself to other people's property for thirty years. And besides, he
lives three days' ride from here in a particularly nasty stretch of country. You
know how I feel about travel."

"We all have to make sacrifices now and then," she said. "If you despell him,
he'll reform. He promised." "Grunjak is a notorious liar."

"Give him the benefit of the doubt. You owe it to society."

Kedrigern muttered something indistinct but unenthusiastic about society's claim
on him, settled deeper into the cushions, and read on in silence, frowning. When
he came to the end of the letter, he arose, tucked the missive into his tunic,
and announced, "Grunjak is receiving his just desserts. But if it will make you
happy, my dear..."

"It will."

"Then I'll go."

"That's very sweet of you," she said.

"Your happiness is my pleasure." He took her hand and raised it to his lips. He
considered it unnecessary to mention the wording of the postscript initialed
with an unsteady G: A fee of five crowns will be paid immediately upon cure.

Kedrigern left the next morning, alone, astride his great red-eyed, silver-homed
steed, an enchanted creature black as midnight, massive as an ox, and
intimidating as a crouching panther. Intimidation seemed to him a wise policy