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

punishment I could dish out, and was still with me. All things
considered, Klaus was entitled to a sulk. So while he finished his
meal, I lit my carbide lantern and explored the passageway out to
the limit of Bjornssen's helmet light. My footsteps sounded hollow
against the muffled sounds of Klaus reshuffling gear and
readjusting straps.

I glanced back as Bjornssen marked the wall with a strip from his
ever-present roll of surveyor's tape; then I moved on as he turned
to follow. A whole series of hundred-foot dropoffs, which had
required ropes and rock-climbing pitons to traverse, had given way
to another long, low cavern with no apparent end. The rock no
longer looked entirely like limestone; or maybe it was just my eyes.
I'd been looking at nothing but grey rock for days, now. The only
genuine difference I could pinpoint was the absence of water.

After a good bit of beard-scratching, I decided that must account
for the almost subliminal changes I was noticing. The lack of water
worried meЧwe were lower on water than anything elseЧbut it
shouldn't have surprised me. It was predictable that the immortal
bastard I was hunting would dry up the water supply when I needed
it most.

Bjornssen's footsteps stomped up close behind me. He was
muttering to himself in Norwegian. From the sound of it, he
probably wanted to tear my head off and serve it to me for lunch. I
started to step out of his way before he could shoulder past and
take the leadЧ

Чand he yelled. The light from Bjornssen's lamp swung crazily. He
smashed forward into my back and kept falling. I stumbled, and
windmilled for balance. A loud, sickening scrape reached my ears,
then he grabbed wildly at my ankles. I crashed to the floor and
bruised face and ribs on rough stone. The impact extinguished my
lamp. Stunned, I tried to catch my breath. Bjornssen gabbled
hysterically. His weight was pulling me backward over a lip of rock.
Both of us slid out over nothing at all.

I yelledЧand all that came out was a gurgling croak. I left skin
behind on the rough stone, and tried to lift my face. We were still
sliding. I grabbed for any available handholds to brake our fall, and
didn't find any. His whole weight hung suspended from my ankles.
The only light came from his helmet. It swung crazily as he
struggled. Wild, distorted shadows left me grabbing for handholds
that were nothing but illusion.

"HangЧonЧ" I gasped. He made a lunge for my knees with one
handЧand missed. I slid backward another six inches, and dug in
with my fingernails. The rough lip of stone caught my crotch.
"Dammit"ЧI used elbows and hands, hugging stone in an effort to