King Kobold revived-Warlock-2.5 by Christopher Stasheff Read Free Book Online Page B

interest in their games, and their spells could not hold him.”
    “Then, they must con new charms, and hold him by delight alone,” Brom growled. “Though ‘tis true, I know of nothing that could hold this bairn when he doth not wish it.”
    “Naughty babe!” Gwen reproved Magnus. He gurgled happily in reply.
    “At least, when he had ‘scaped I found him in the half of a minute,” the elf pointed out.
    “ ‘Tis true, and any who would wish to harm him would fare ill against thee,” Brom admitted. “Yet bid them hold him better, Robin.”
    “Naughty child!” Gwen scolded. “Though glad I am to see thee, yet must thou know thy mother hath a task which must be done. I cannot be with thee now, my sweet, much though I wish to. Come, hie thee back to thy nurse, and bide until I call thee.”
    “Uh-uh!” The baby scowled, and shook his head.
    “Magnus,” Gwen began, in a tone that implied a nuclear bomb (or, at least, a tactical warhead) was about to explode.
    But Brom interrupted. “Nay then, manikin! Hast never heard of bogeymen?”
    The child stared down at him in blue-eyed wonder.
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    “Never?” Brom rumbled. “Ah, woefully dost thou neglect this child’s educa-tion if he ha’ not yet heard of childhood’s horror!”
    “Well, that’s kinda the point,” Rod answered, nettled. “I see absolutely no point in scaring kids half to death and giving them dread of perfectly ordinary things. If I tell him to be good, he’s got to do it simply because he believes in me.”
    “Pray he doth; if this bairn ceased to believe in me, I might cease to be!” Brom growled. “Yet what robbery is this, to take from him one of childhood’s most de-licious thrills—the dread of the horrible monster that he knows, at heart’s bot-tom, doth not truly live? The bogeymen, child, are huge, shambling things, all covered with hair, with tiny glowing eyes, and long, sharply pointed teeth!”
    Magnus cuddled back against Gwen with a delighted squall.
    “ ‘Tis true!” Brom held up a forefinger. “Vile things are they, that do seek to harm both children and parents! And thy mother and father must needs sally forth against them, to drive them from this land for good and all—yet they can-not go if they are not sure that thou art safe.”
    Magnus stared at Brom wide-eyed, beginning to understand.
    “So hie thee back to thy nurses!” Brom clapped his hands.
    “Hie thee hence, and bide with them till thy mother doth summon thee! Bide thee with thy nurses in safety, that thy mother and father may chase the bogey-men from this land!”
    Magnus looked up at Gwen out of the corner of his eyes. “Baby come too?”
    “I fear not,” Gwen said firmly, holding him up under the arms so that she could look directly into his eyes. “Thou must needs do as thine Uncle Brom…”
    Rod was the only one who noticed the shadow pass over Brom’s face.
    “… as thine Uncle Brom doth say, and flit back to Elfland, to thy nurses, there to bide whiles thy father and I do chase these monsters. Yet I’ll summon thee whene’er I may, to play awhile. Now, wilt thou go?”
    The baby glowered at her, then nodded reluctantly.
    “Good babe!” Gwen kissed him. “Now, hie thee hence!”
    Magnus looked up at Rod. He reached out to squeeze a chubby hand—then found himself holding empty air. Magnus had disappeared.
    “Bairns do understand more than we think,” Brom rumbled, “if we are but open with them.” He frowned at the peasants. “And what dost thou gape at, vil-lage fools? Hast never seen a babe afore?”
    The men gave a start and glanced at Rod guiltily; but the women sighed, and one of them said to Gwen,
    “Now, bless thee, lady! Praise Heaven mine were only common babes!”
    “Certes, they tried thee as sorely as ever mine try me,” Gwen answered, amused. “I have, after all, some powers to use in dealing with him. Yet bless thee for thy