"Bennett, Marcia J - Ni-Lach 03 - Beyond the Draak's Teeth UC" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bennett Marcia J)

"Garv, maybe he's not thirsty," Theon said. "Why don't you let me talk to him a little longer. If heЧ"
"No! You can talk to him tomorrow. He's going to sleep now."
"Garv, I'm not going to do anything to him," Theon protested. "I just want to talk toЧ"
Bhaldavin folded over and began retching, spewing pieces of nabob root and fish into Theon's lap. Theon cursed and jumped away as Garv knelt beside Bhaldavin and held him until the retching spasms passed. The seizures were so violent that Bhaldavin also lost control of his bowels.
"Gods, what a mess!" Theon cursed as Garv picked Bhaldavin up and carried him toward the door.
"It's your fault," Garv growled. "You upset him. You clean up the mess here while I wash him off. There's water in that bucket over there."
Theon had the mess on the floor cleaned up by the
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time Garv returned with Bhaldavin. Garv snatched a blanket from one of the beds, wrapped it around Bhaldavin, and led him over to the hearth, where he made him lie down; he fastened the rope at Bhaldavin's ankle to one of the table legs.
"Garv, may I stay the night?" Theon asked quietly.
"I guess so." He pointed to Bhaldavin's bed. "You can use that bunk."
Theon looked at his brother a moment, then went over to the pile of grass strewn on the floor.
"What're you doing?" Garv asked, as Theon began to pick up the grass.
"Throwing this stuff away. It's probably what made him sick. You'll have to begin to watch what he eats, Garv."
"I watch," Garv said defensively.
"I know you do, Garv. I just meant that if Little Fish is more alert now, you'll have to keep a closer eye on him. Are you going fishing tomorrow?"
Garv nodded and returned to the task of cleaning the supper dishes.
"Mind if I come along?"
"You talk too much. You scare all the fish away."
Theon smiled. 'Til be quiet, Garv. I promise."
"What about Hansa? Won't he look for you?"
"He's doing some repair work on the boat. He said it would be three or four days until he's ready to go out again/'
The heat from the coals soon warmed Bhaldavin. He closed his eyes and listened to the men talk, their voices blurring into a soothing rumble of sound. In the back of his mind he knew he should remain awake and make plans for an escape while the men slept, but exhaustion won out and he fell asleep.
Chapter 3
BHALDAVIN WOKE HUNGRY THE NEXT MORNING, BUT Garv gave him only one piece of bread and a fresh kansa for breakfast. The yellow fruit was ripe and juicy, and Bhaldavin looked longingly at the bowl of fruit sitting on a nearby shelf.
Garv untied Bhaldavin's ankle rope and began coiling it up. When finished, he set the rope on the table and went for his net and pole.
Bhaldavin cautiously sidled toward the bowl on the shelf, but as he reached for a second fruit, Garv turned, saw what he was doing, and came over to slap his hand away.
"No, Little Fish, no more this morning. Garv doesn't want you getting sick again."
Theon appeared in the doorway. "Oh, let him have another, Garv. It won't hurt him." He pulled his tunic over his head and tucked it into his pants, then sat down to put on his sandals. "You about ready, Garv?"
After Garv and Bhaldavin went out, Theon took sev-
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eral fruits from the bowl and stuffed them into his tunic pocket, then hurried to catch up with the other two.
Beyond the stockade gate, they followed the narrow trail that led along the river. The overhanging vines and bushes that enclosed the path on both sides made the trail dark with shadows. When the trail widened slightly, Theon moved up beside Bhaldavin.
"Here, Little Fish," he called, tossing one of the kansa he had brought from the cabin. "Catch."
Bhaldavin caught the yellow globe, and before Garv could interfere, he took a large bite.
Garv glared at his brother, but Theon had eyes only for Bhaldavin, who was busy making the fruit disappear as fast as possible.
Theon reached out and grabbed ahold of green Ni-Iach hair, forcing Bhaldavin to look him in the face. "So I wasn't dreaming last night. Our little fish has awakened. You know that I'm talking to you, don't you, Little Fish? How long have you been fooling Garv? And why?"
Garv caught Theon's wrist. "Let him go, Theon! You'll frighten him."
"I doubt that!" Theon snapped, twisting out of Garv's hold. "Little Fish isn't afraid of me. Look at him. Look into his eyes, Garv. He's watching us and he understands. Damn it, I said look!"
The sudden snap and crackle of underbrush put an end to the argument. All three turned just as the head of a large blue draak appeared over the top of the bushes alongside the trail. Wakened from sleep by the angry voices, the large reptile lunged to its feet, its long neck outstretched, its flat head weaving back and forth.
Though land draak were lighter in build than their water cousins, each of their four legs was the equal of three men locked breast to back, and though ungainly looking, they could move quickly.
Garv and Theon thought of no one but themselves as they ran downtrail, diving for safety among the trees and
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BEYOND THE DRAAK'S TEETH
bushes. Neither man saw Bhaldavin fall, entangled in the rope Garv had dropped.
The draak was upon Bhaldavin before he could kick free of the rope.
The song that came to Bhaldavin's lips was one of the first he had learned; at first his voice cracked, but then the high trilling notes rose clear and true above the angry hissing of the draak.