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The Colour of Magic :: Пратчетт Терри
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“Really?”
When one foot is stuck in the Grey Miasma of krull it is much easier to step right in and sink rather than prolong the struggle. Rincewind let himself go.
“Yes, that one over there is Frig Stronginthearm, over there is Black Zenell—”
“Is Hrun the Barbarian here?” said Twoflower, looking around eagerly. Rincewind took a deep breath.
“That’s him behind us,” he said.
The enormity of this lie was so great that its ripples did in fact spread out one of the lower astral planes as far as the Magical Quarter across the river, where it picked up tremendous velocity from the huge standing wave of power that always hovered there and bounced wildly across the Circle Sea. A harmonic got as far as Hrun himself, currently fighting a couple of gnolls on a crumbling ledge high in the Caderack Mountains, and caused him a moment’s unexplained discomfort. Twoflower, meanwhile, had thrown back the lid of the Luggage and was hastily pulling out a heavy black cube.
“This is fantastic,” he said. “They’re never going to believe this at home.”
“What’s he going on about?” said the sergeant doubtfully.
“He’s pleased you rescued us,” said Rincewind. He looked sidelong at the black box, half-expecting it to explode or emit strange musical tones.
“Ah,” said the sergeant. He was staring at the box, too.
Twoflower smiled brightly at them.
“I’d like a record of the event,” he said. “Do you think you could ask them all to stand over by the window, please? This won’t take a moment. And, er, Rincewind? “
“Yes?”
Twoflower stood on tiptoe to whisper.
“I expect you know what this is, don’t you?” Rincewind stared down at the box. It had a round glass eye protruding from the centre of one face, and a lever at the back.
“Not wholly, “ he said.
“It’s a device for making pictures quickly,” said Twoflower. “Quite a new invention. I’m rather proud of it but, look, I don’t think these gentlemen would—well, I mean they might be—sort of apprehensive? Could you explain it to them? I’ll reimburse them for their time, of course.”
“He’s got a box with a demon in it that draws pictures,” said Rincewind shortly. ‘do what the madman says and he will give you gold.”
The Watch smiled nervously.
“I’d like you in the picture, Rincewind. That’s fine.
“Really?”
When one foot is stuck in the Grey Miasma of krull it is much easier to step right in and sink rather than prolong the struggle. Rincewind let himself go.
“Yes, that one over there is Frig Stronginthearm, over there is Black Zenell—”
“Is Hrun the Barbarian here?” said Twoflower, looking around eagerly. Rincewind took a deep breath.
“That’s him behind us,” he said.
The enormity of this lie was so great that its ripples did in fact spread out one of the lower astral planes as far as the Magical Quarter across the river, where it picked up tremendous velocity from the huge standing wave of power that always hovered there and bounced wildly across the Circle Sea. A harmonic got as far as Hrun himself, currently fighting a couple of gnolls on a crumbling ledge high in the Caderack Mountains, and caused him a moment’s unexplained discomfort. Twoflower, meanwhile, had thrown back the lid of the Luggage and was hastily pulling out a heavy black cube.
“This is fantastic,” he said. “They’re never going to believe this at home.”
“What’s he going on about?” said the sergeant doubtfully.
“He’s pleased you rescued us,” said Rincewind. He looked sidelong at the black box, half-expecting it to explode or emit strange musical tones.
“Ah,” said the sergeant. He was staring at the box, too.
Twoflower smiled brightly at them.
“I’d like a record of the event,” he said. “Do you think you could ask them all to stand over by the window, please? This won’t take a moment. And, er, Rincewind? “
“Yes?”
Twoflower stood on tiptoe to whisper.
“I expect you know what this is, don’t you?” Rincewind stared down at the box. It had a round glass eye protruding from the centre of one face, and a lever at the back.
“Not wholly, “ he said.
“It’s a device for making pictures quickly,” said Twoflower. “Quite a new invention. I’m rather proud of it but, look, I don’t think these gentlemen would—well, I mean they might be—sort of apprehensive? Could you explain it to them? I’ll reimburse them for their time, of course.”
“He’s got a box with a demon in it that draws pictures,” said Rincewind shortly. ‘do what the madman says and he will give you gold.”
The Watch smiled nervously.
“I’d like you in the picture, Rincewind. That’s fine.