"Gordon R. Dickson - Dragon Knight 02 - The Dragon Knight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

The big question was, would the boarтАЩs natural desire to attack any potential opponent on sight
overcome its other natural desire to move on peaceably with its family? The answer could be given only
by the boar itself.

Now, however, the boar had apparently thought the matter over. The sow and the last of the young
boars had disappeared into the further woods. It was time, the boar seemed to feel, to put up or shut up.
It had been snorting and pawing the turf with its front feet; now it began not merely scratching the earthy
surface but throwing up small clods of it. Clearly, it was getting ready to charge. At this moment, JimтАЩs
horse literally screamed and, as literally, bolted from under him; so that he fell to the ground with a thump.

As he fell, he felt a second of almost intolerable pressure, which was as suddenly relieved. He found
himself looking at the scene from a slightly different angle.

He was a dragon again. In the process of turning into one, he had literally burst out of both his armor and
his clothes- with the exception of his hose which, being made of a stretchy, knitted material, instead of
tearing or breaking its fastenings, had simply rolled itself down his legs. So that now he gave the rather
ridiculous picture of a dragon hobbled by what looked like the lower half of some long underwear
equipped with booties.
But at the moment this was unimportant. What was important was that the boar was still there.

Nonetheless, things had clearly changed. The boar had stopped kicking up dirt and snorting. It was
frozen, staring at the dragon that now confronted it. For a moment, Jim did not appreciate his good
fortune. Then understanding overcame him.

тАЬGet out of here!тАЭ he bellowed in full dragon voice at the boar. тАЬGo on. Git!тАЭ

The boar, like all its kind, was assuredly no coward. Cornered, even by a dragon, it undoubtedly would
have charged. On the other hand, a dragon was not the ideal opponent, even for a boar; and in addition,
this dragon had appeared out of nowhere. Combative, the boar might be; but after the manner of all wild
animals, it had an instinct for survival. It turned and vanished into the undergrowth in the direction the rest
of its family had gone.

Jim looked around for his horse. He found it behind him about twenty yards and a little off into the
woods, peering out at him, and to his telescopic dragon vision, clearly shivering.

Thoughtfully, Jim disentangled his hind feet from his hose. He inspected them. They, at least, might be
wearable again. He contemplated the rest of his clothing and armor. Even if he had his human body back,
it would be difficult to redress and rearmor himself in the pieces that were about him. On the other hand,
it would not do to leave them here in the road. He gathered them up and made a small pile, which he tied
together with his sword belt. It had broken when he had become a dragon, but its ends could be tied,
clumsily.

Gazing at it, he thought that the bundle would probably ride all right on his back, if he fitted the edge of
the belt between a couple of the diagonal bony plates that stood up along his spine and out over the top
of his tail.

He turned to his horse, gazing at it slantwise out of the comers of his eyes, so as not alarm it by
appearing to put his attention full upon it. It had ceased shivering, though its skin shone damply with
sweat. It was definitely not the equivalent of Sir BrianтАЩs noble war-horse, Blanchard of Tours, as Jim had