"Bradley, Marion Zimmer - Falcons of Narabedla (txt)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bradley Marion Zimmer)

Falcons of NarabedlaFalcons of Narabedla
by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Version 1.0

CHAPTER ONE

SOMEWHERE on the crags above us, I heard a big bird
scream.

I turned to Andy, knee-deep in the icy stream
beside me. "There's your eagle. Probably smells that
cougar I shot yesterday." I started to reel in my line,
knowing what my brother's next move would be.
"Get the camera, and we'll try for a picture."

We crouched together in the underbrush, watch-
ing, as the big bird of prey wheeled down in a slow
spiral toward the dead cougar. Andy was trembling
with excitement, the camera poised against his chest.
"Golly," he whispered, almost prayerfully, "six-foot
wing spread at least, maybe moreЧ"

The bird screamed again, warily, head cocked into
the wind. We were to leeward; the scent of the car-
rion masked our enemy smell from him. The eagle
failed to scent or to see us, swooping down and drop-
ping on the cougar's head. Andy's camera clicked
twice. The eagle thrust in its beak.

A red-hot wire flared in my brain. The birdЧthe
birdЧI leaped out of cover, running swiftly across the
ten-foot clearing that separated us from the attacking
eagle, my hand tugging automatically at the hunting
knife in my belt. Andys shout of surprise and dismay
was a far-away noise in my ears as the eagle started
away with flapping, angry wingsЧthen, in fury,

swept down at me, pinions beating around my head.
I heard and felt the wicked beak dart in, and thrust
blindly upward with the knife: ripped, slashing, hear-
ing the bird's scream of pain and the flapping of wide
wings.

A red-hot haze spun around meЧ

This had happened before. I had fought like this
before, for my life, for my life-
Then the screaming eagle was gone, a lifting cry
down-wind and a vanishing shadow, and Andy's
rough grip was on my shoulder, shaking me, hard.