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

тАЬNo,тАЭ said Jim, тАЬbut a Christian gentleman has; and if IтАЩm a Christian gentleman, I wouldnтАЩt dare
forswear myself like that, would I?тАЭ

The knight struggled visibly with this logic for several seconds. Finally, he gave up.

тАЬOh, wellтАжтАЭ He held up his sword by the point and let Jim swear on it. Then he put the sword back in
its sheath as Jim descended. тАЬWell,тАЭ he said, still a little doubtfully, тАЬI suppose, under the circumstances,
we ought to introduce ourselves. You know my arms?тАЭ
Jim looked at the shield which the other swung around for his inspection. It showed a wide X of
silverтАФlike a cross lying over sidewaysтАФon a red background and above some sort of black animal in
profile which seemed to be lying down between the XтАЩs bottom legs.

тАЬThe gules, a saltire argent, of course,тАЭ went on the knight, тАЬare the Nevile of Raby arms. My father, as a
cadet of the house, differenced with a hart lodged sableтАФyou see it there at the bottom. Naturally, as his
heir, I carry the family arms.тАЭ

тАЬNevile-Smythe,тАЭ said Jim, remembering the name from the song.

тАЬSir Reginald, knight bachelor. And you, sir?тАЭ

тАЬWhy, uhтАжтАЭ Jim clutched frantically at what he knew of heraldry. тАЬI bearтАФin my proper body, that
isтАФтАЭ

тАЬQuite.тАЭ

тАЬAтАж gules, a typewriter argent, on a desk sable. Eckert, Sir JamesтАФuhтАФknight bachelor. Baron
ofтАФerтАФRiveroak.тАЭ

Nevile-Smythe was knitting his brows.

тАЬTypewriterтАжтАЭ he was muttering, тАЬtypewriterтАжтАЭ

тАЬA local beast, rather like a griffin,тАЭ said Jim, hastily. тАЬWe have a lot of them in RiveroakтАФthatтАЩs in
America, a land over the sea to the west. You may not have heard of it.тАЭ

тАЬCanтАЩt say that I have. Was it there you were enchanted into this dragon-shape?тАЭ

тАЬWell, yes and no. I was transported to this land by magic as was theтАФuhтАФlady Angela. When I woke
here I was bedragoned.тАЭ

тАЬWere you?тАЭ Sir ReginaldтАЩs blue eyes bulged a little in amazement. тАЬAngelaтАФfair name, that! Like to
meet her. Perhaps after we get this muddle cleared up, we might have a bit of a set-to on behalf of our
respective ladies.тАЭ

Jim gulped slightly.

тАЬOh, youтАЩve got one, too?тАЭ

тАЬAbsolutely. And sheтАЩs tremendous. The Lady ElinorтАФтАЭ The knight turned about in his saddle and began
to fumble about his equipment. Jim, on reaching the ground, had at once started out along the causeway