"Evans,.Linda.-.Sleipnir" - читать интересную книгу автора (Evans Linda)

The sun was so low and the mist so thick we nearly missed the
hole broken into one side. Right outside that hole, almost as
though someone had planted it there when those stones were still
raw from the cut earth, stood the blackened skeleton of a huge oak
tree. A stray breeze opened a rent in the mist and the dying sun
bathed the mound in light the color of blood; a cold, bitter draft
eddied from the hole.

"Jesus, what's that smell?"

Gary hadn't heard. He took three steps toward the gaping hole and
stopped. Only the luminous dial on his watch, flashing in the gloom,
reminded me this was the twentieth century.

"They used to perform sacrifices on trees like that," Gary
murmured. "They'd take a warrior and strangle him and spear him
in the heart while he choked to death. Then they'd hang him in an
oak tree for Odin, who would send a valkyrie, or maybe his stallion,
Sleipnir, to fetch the sacrifice to Valhalla."

Gary stared at the tree; then gazed off into the mist, where
disturbing shapes loomed indistinctly and tricked the eyes. "You
can almost see Sleipnir comingЧ"

"Shut up, will you?" I spoke louder than I'd intended. Gary started
and swung to face me; then grinned. "Sorry. It gets to you
sometimes, you know?"

I knew. But we had to sleep on the cursed mound.

For a moment he looked as sheepish as I felt; then we grabbed
our shovels, and got busy with the army's observation post.



I'd forgotten all about that day; until now. Gary looked really eerie,
with that golden light touching his face, and a stark shadow from
the naked oak branch over my head cutting across him. I shivered
without quite knowing why, and wondered if burying that knife had
been such a good idea after all. Blood still dripped down my arm,
warm and sticky.

"Gary, you got that lousy bandage?"

He blinked a couple of times; then walked over and bent to look.
"Good cut, Randy. Not too deep. Yeah, it's right here." He pulled
out the gauze and wrapped my arm securely, stemming the flow. I
wiped my bloodstained fingers on an extra cloth I'd brought along
and rolled my sleeve down and buttoned the cuff; then put my coat