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."But you do have a spellbook? You understand magic," she continued.Wizards, her tone implied, should be prepared for anything, even a graveyard full of restless corpses intent on bringing trouble to her family's doorstep.Gustin reached into his tunic and withdrew the guidebook to Waterdeep that he'd shown Sophraea earlier.Once again he carefully unfolded the crudely printed map bound into the back, laying it flat on the bench between them.He tapped one corner of the map and the streets and buildings swirled together in a rainbow of colors, then faded away to show line after line of tiny writing.There it was again, a scream that strangled away.Neither Briarsting nor Gustin seemed to notice it.A soft nudge against her shoulder made Sophraea start and clamp her mouth closed to keep from gasping.She felt soft leaves brush her neck.When she turned her head, her eyes looked straight.into one of the dragon's red berry eyes.It was wide open.The greenery of his brow drew into a deep wrinkle of worry.So she wasn't imagining the cry.The topiary dragon heard it too."All my spells," Gustin said, still looking down at his book."All learned in bits and pieces, here and there.Animation of stone.That ritual is especially mine, but how is that going to help? Some defensive spells, which are not nearly as powerful as a good offensive spell.A few illusions, which work well.One spell that lets me run away from danger very fast.I'd be happy to use any of these in your service.But I don't see how it solves your problem."Sophraea didn't see either.Round and round her finger, she twisted the ring that Volponia had given her."There's a half a wish in this," she finally said, pulling the ring off and handing it to Gustin."Could that stop this curse?""Half a wish?" He echoed, juggling the ring in the palm of his hand."I doubt it.Wishes are magic based on hope.A half-hearted hope, like a half a wish, probably isn't enough to trump a good solid hate-filled curse.And the one thing that I can tell about this curse: whoever unleashed it really hates Rampage Stunk."He gave the little silver ring back to Sophraea.She slid it on her finger with a sigh.It didn't seem right that a curse, one not even directed at her family, could create such havoc.But all Waterdeep knew that Stunk was seeking whoever had loosed the curse against him.No one had ever accused the fat man of being fair-minded.He was sure to blame the Carvers and even if they could drive off his bullies or appeal to the City Watch for protection, it would mean days or even tendays of disruption.And Stunk well might hire his own wizards.Dead End House had its protections, but Sophraea still worried about how much the family could withstand before somebody was seriously hurt.The sound of booted feet crunching heavily down the gravel path propelled Gustin and Sophraea off the bench."Is it the Watch?" Sophraea asked as Briarsting leaped to the shoulder of the grieving stone woman overlooking the pool.From there, he hopped to the roof of a mausoleum."No," the green-skinned man called down."It's a dwarf!"The deep orange of the stout dwarf s waterproof hat and cloak marked him as a member of the cellarers' and plumbers' guild.In one hand he clutched a rake for clearing storm drains.Sophraea started to murmur a polite greeting.The dwarf stared at her blankly."Do I know you, young lady?" he said slowly."Forgive me my haste but I have urgent business at the Plinth.There will be a jump tonight."Gustin stepped aside to let him pass.Sophraea watched the dwarf march steadily away from them.There was something odd about the sturdy hammerpipe, the faintest twinge of that same sense that always told her where she was in the City of the Dead.If she narrowed her eyes and stared really hard at the dwarf, she could see the shadow of a much taller figure marching steadily away from them."I thought the Plinth was destroyed," remarked Gustin.With a start, Sophraea broke her concentration on the dwarf."Oh, yes, the Spellplague took down the Plinth." The dwarf had disappeared around a corner of the path."But the dead don't always know current history.""That was a dwarf.Not a corpse.""That was a possessed hammerpipe," she corrected him [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]