"Gordon R. Dickson - The Last Dream" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

He did not wait to see more. He nosed over and went into a dive like a jet fighter, sights locked on
Target Dragon.

It was a good move. Unfortunately Gorbash-Jim, having about the weight and wingspread of a small
flivver airplane, made a comparable amount of noise when he was in a dive, assuming the planeтАЩs motor
to be shut off. Moreover, the dragon on the ground had evidently had experience with the meaning of
such a sound; for, without even looking, he went tumbling head over tail out of the way just as Jim
slammed into the spot where, a second before, he had been.

The other dragon rolled over onto his feet, sat up, took one look at Jim, and began to wail.

тАЬItтАЩs not fair! ItтАЩs not fair!тАЭ he cried in a (for a dragon) remarkably high-pitched voice. тАЬJust because
youтАЩre bigger than I am. And IтАЩm all horned up. ItтАЩs the first good one IтАЩve been able to kill in months
and you donтАЩt need it, not at all. YouтАЩre big and fat and IтАЩm so weak and thin and hungryтАФтАЭ

Jim blinked and stared. What he had thought to be Angie, lying in the grass, now revealed itself to be an
old and rather stringy-looking cow, badly bitten up and with a broken neck.

тАЬItтАЩs just my luck!тАЭ the other dragon was weeping. He was less than three-quarters JimтАЩs size and so
emaciated he appeared on the verge of collapse. тАЬEverytime I get something good, somebody takes it
away. All I ever get to eat is fishтАФтАЭ

тАЬHold on,тАЭ said Jim.

тАЬFish, fish, fish. Cold, nasty fiтАФтАЭ

тАЬHold on, I say! SHUT UP!тАЭ bellowed Jim, in GorbashтАЩs best voice.

The other dragon stopped his wailing as suddenly as if his switch had been shut off.

тАЬYes, sir,тАЭ he said, timidly.

тАЬWhatтАЩs the matter? IтАЩm not going to take this from you.тАЭ

The other dragon tittered uncertainly.

тАЬIтАЩm not,тАЭ said Jim. тАЬItтАЩs your cow. All yours.тАЭ
тАЬHe-he-he!тАЭ said the other dragon. тАЬYou certainly are a card, your honor.тАЭ

тАЬBlast it, IтАЩm serious!тАЭ cried Jim. тАЬWhatтАЩs your name, anyway?тАЭ

тАЬOh, wellтАФтАЭ the other squirmed. тАЬOh well, you knowтАФтАЭ

тАЬWhatтАЩs your name?тАЭ

тАЬSecoh, your worship!тАЭ yelped the dragon, frightenedly. тАЬJust Secoh. Nobody important. Just a little,
unimportant mere-dragon, your highness, thatтАЩs all I am. Really!тАЭ

тАЬAll right, Secoh, dig in. All I want is some directions.тАЭ