"Lord Dunsany - Poltarnees, Beholder Of Ocean (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dunsany Lord)

edgeof the water, and his great horns swept out sideways
fromhis head, and at the ends curved upwards, and were four
strides in width from tip to tip. And he had not seen
Athelvok, for the great bull was on the far side of the
littlepool, andAthelvok could not creep round to him for
fearof meeting the wind (for thegariachs , who can see
little in the dark forests, rely on hearing and smell). But
hedevised swiftly in his mind while the bull stood there
withhead erect just twenty strides from him across the
water. And the bull sniffed the wind cautiously and
listened, then lowered its great head down to the pool and
drank. At that instantAthelvok leapt into the water and
shotforward through its weedy depths among the stems of the
strangeflowers that floated upon broad leaves on the
surface. AndAthelvok kept his spear out straight before
him, and the fingers of his left hand he held rigid and
straight, not pointing upwards, and so did not come to the
surface, but was carried onward by the strength of his
springand passedunentangled through the stems of the
flowers. WhenAthelvok jumped into the water the bull must
havethrown his head up, startled at the splash, then he
wouldhave listened and have sniffed the air, and neither
hearingnor scenting any danger he must have remained rigid
forsome moments, for it was in that attitude thatAthelvok
found him as he emerged breathless at his feet. And,
strikingat once,Athelvok drove the spear into his throat
before the head and the terrible horns came down. But
Athelvokhad clung to one of the great horns, and had been
carriedat terrible speed through the rhododendron bushes
untilthegariach fell, but rose at once again, and died
standingup, still struggling, drowned in its own blood.
But toHilnaric listening it was as though one of the
heroesof old time had come back again in the full glory of
hislegendary youth.
And long time they went up and down the terraces, saying
thosethings which were said before and since, and which
lips shall be made to say again. And above them stood
Poltarneesbeholding the Sea.
And the day came whenAthelvok should go. AndHilnaric
saidto him:
"Will you not indeed most surely come back again,having
justlooked over the summit ofPoltarnees ?"
Athelvokanswered: "I will indeed come back, for thy
voiceis more beautiful than the hymn of the priests when
theychant and praise the Sea, and though many tributary
seasran down intoOriathon and he and all the others poured
theirbeauty into one pool below me, yet would I return
swearingthat thouwert fairer than they."
AndHilnaric answered:
"The wisdom of my heart tells me, or old knowledge or