Gor #25 - Magicians of Gor by John Norman

Author:John Norman [Norman, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Adventure, Science Fiction, Erotica, Fiction, General, Gor (Imaginary Place)
ISBN: 9780759219861
Google: hDDMOzQUu9UC
Amazon: 0759219869
Publisher: e-reads.com
Published: 2009-01-01T23:00:00+00:00

"I do not understand," I said.

"Magic seems too strange and wonderful," he said.

"Why don't they just make gold pieces appear instead?" I asked.

"Yes, why not?" he asked.

"Indeed, why not?" I said.

"I do not understand the audience," he said. "Some men laughed much, and did not seem to understand the momentousness of what was occurring. Some seemed to take it almost for granted. Others were more sensitive to the wonders they beheld."

"Dear Marcus," I said, "such things are tricks. They are done to give pleasure, and amusement."

"The magician, or the magician, or magicians, the showman was in league with," said Marcus, "obviously possess extraordinary powers."

"In a sense, yes," I said, "and I would be the last to underestimate or belittle them. They have unusual powers. But you, too, have unusual powers. For example, you have unusual powers with tempered blades, with the steels of war."

"Such things," said he, quickly, "are mere matters of blood, of instinct, of aptitude, of strength, of reflexes, of training, of practice. They are skills, skills."

"The magician, too," I said, "has his skills. Let them be remarked and celebrated. Life is the richer for us that he has them. Let us rejoice in his achievements."

"I do not think I understand you," said Marcus.

(pg. 266) "Would you like to know how the tricks were done?" I asked.

"Tricks," he said.

"Yes," I said. "If I tell you, will you then value them less?"

" 'Done'?" he said.

"Surely you do not believe that a slave disappeared into thin air and then reappeared out of thin air in a wicker trunk, do you?"

"Certainly it is difficult to believe," said Marcus, "but surely I must believe it, it happened."

"Nonsense," I said.

"Did you not see what I saw?" he asked.

"I suppose that in one sense I saw what you saw," I said, "but in another sense I think it would be fair to say that I didn't. At the very least, we surely interpreted what we saw very differently."

"I know what I saw," said Marcus.

"You know what you think you saw," I said.

"There could be no tricks," said Marcus, angrily. "Not this time. Do not think I am naïve! I have heard of such things as trapdoors and secret panels! I have even heard of illusions done with mirrors! But those are not done by true magic. They are only tricks. I might even be able to do them. But this was different. Here, obviously, there could have been only true magic."

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"I do not know that there is false magic, or only apparent magic, and false magicians, or only apparent magicians, but this was different."

"Why?" I asked.

"If there are so many false magicians," said Marcus, "then there must be at least one true magician."

"Have you reflected upon the logic of that?" I asked.

"Not carefully," he said.

"It might be well to do so," I said.

"Perhaps," he said, irritatedly.

"From the fact that most larls eat meat it does not follow that some larls do not," I said. "Rather, if one were to hazard an inference in such a matter, it would seem rational to suppose that they all eat meat.

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