"Avram Davidson - Bumberboom" - читать интересную книгу автора (Davidson Avram)

"Sun shine upon you," Mal said, somewhat glumly, for he had learned very little from the man which he
had not already been able to deduce by himself. But as he reflected on the possible uses of Bumberboom
it occurred to him that therein it was conceivable lay an answer to his quest and question, though not in
any way which he had previously considered.
The hamlet fell away behind him, and as he continued along the famed Broad Road he saw upon its
dusty surface the hoofprints of the Dwerfish ponies, and the grooves made by the great wheels of
Bumberboom. Slowly he began to smile, and then he quickened his steps and strode briskly along.
The situation at the border was perhaps brittle rather than tense; so occupied with their affairs were
those gathered there that they did not observe Mallian approaching. He heard a hoarse babble of voices
from farther away and saw the huge muzzle of Bumberboom lifted up from behind a rise of ground. The
whitewashed stone cairns marking the dominion of the Dwerfs stood on each side of the road, and
beyond them on each side of the road was another symbol consisting of two long wooden beams painted
red. Their ends were planted in the ground and they inclined towards each other until for a short space
they crisscrossed. The sight of the two Dwerfs brought him to pause a moment and to consider
concealment... but they were on foot, and their mounts were tethered off at a distance, and moreover
their territory clearly came to an end here, although he was not familiar with what new territory might be
symbolized by the red beams.
Neither had he before ever seen men like those who stood conversing with the Bandies. They wore
not the breeches, shirt and tunic so common elsewhere, but closefitting upper garments extending as a
sort of hood or cap closely over the scalp and to which a sort of curious simulated ears were attached.
And tights of cloth they wore about their loins. These garments had not the rough look of wool nor (it
suddenly seemed) the dull look of linen, but they had a mightily attractive smoothness and sheen and
glow, and they rippled when even a muscle was moved.
"Oh, we are so infinitely obliged to the Kings of the Dwerfs," one was saying, in a tone which seemed
to indicate very little sense of true obligation. Rays of sunlight slanted through the bowering branches of
the trees and picked out the emblematics embroidered upon the red tunics of the Dwerfymen. "We are
so obliged to them-- through their constables of course-- " he bowed and put more expression into the
salute than was in his face, "for having sent us this number of greatly desirable guests. And such guests as
they are, too!"
And a second said, with a dull and lowering look, "Our appreciation will be conveyed from our
masters to yours, very shortly, have no fears."
One of the Dwerfs said with a shrug, "They would away, as we have told you, and who can hold what
will away? Furthermore, who can argue with Bumberboom?"
The other Dwerf, hearing or perhaps subtly feeling the approach of some one behind, glanced back
and saw Mal coming. He took his comrade's arm and turned him around. "Hold, Raflin. Do you
remember that report?"
Raflin puckered his caterpillar brows and nodded. "I do. And I do believe, Gorlin, that this is one with
whom we would speak. Halt, fellow, in the names of the Kings!"
But Mal, skipping nimbly, said, "It is a false report, to begin with, and a case of erroneous
identification to continue with. Furthermore, the names of your Kings are as nothing to me for I was never
their subject, and lastly-- "
"Hold! Hold!"
"-- lastly," Mal said, lining up beside the stranger-men, "I am not at the present moment any longer in
your Section or your Land at all, and accordingly I defy you, Bandy rogues that you are!" And he
spraddled his legs in contempt at them.
The Dwerfs grunted their rage and simultaneously began to reach for their slashers and to move
forward upon their crook legs, but the guards from the other side of the border took several paces
toward them and regarded them with extreme disfavor. They stopped.
"So be it, then," said Raflin, after a moment. "We will not invoke the doctrine of close pursuit. But be
assured, Stickpin," he flung the term at unflinching Mallian, "and be assured, you other Stickpins, that we