"Robert Don Hughes - Pelman 01 - The Prophet Of Lamath" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hughes Robert Don)

observed.

"Which is foolishness," Heinox replied, "since I take what jewels I like and eat what food suits me." "That's why I
don't need to learn to count," Vicia nodded in agreement, and reached down to grasp a particularly large and beautiful
stone between scaly lips. The jewel was gigantic by human estimation, but it was dwarfed by the dragon's gleaming
teeth. With a mighty flip of his neck, the head known as Vicia launched it sparkling into the air. But Heinox heard a
commotion from the southern approach to the pass, and the diamond bounced unnoticed off the dragon's hide.

"Why didn't I catch that?" "Because I hear a noise in Chaomonous," Heinox growled, and the right-hand head craned
over the left to peer deeply into the pass. Vicia dropped an ear to the ground, listening closely and hearing now the
approach of a force of men.

"Of caravan size," Vicia murmured, "but coming much faster than a caravan would normally." "Armed?" Heinox asked,
rearing high into the sky, to the full extension of his mighty neck. There was a flash of reflected light far below him, like
sunshine glistening off the golden armor of Chaomonous.

"Perhaps not the first party," Vicia advised, "but there is a second group of riders behind the first that may be. It
moves much faster." Vicia-Heinox leapt into the sky, wings unfurling lazily. He soared upward, well above the lofty
mountain cliffs surrounding his home, one head circling from south to west to north and back toward the south, the
other head gazing intently at the column of armed warriors hesitating at the mouth of the southern entrance. The
dragon screamed-a dreadful, piercing, full-throated duet of screeching sound-then flapped slowly toward the troop,
both heads focusing carefully on it. The column broke immediately. Horses tossed riders, riders fought to turn their
mounts from the dragon's gaze, and screams of terror echoed the dragon's screech back up at him. Within seconds the
pass was clear of warriors. Those unfortunate enough to have been carried up the road by their panicked mounts,
rather than down, died with their horses in an inglorious blaze. The dragon dropped down to investigate the remains,
then jumped lightly over the caravan, now halfway up the incline. He settled slowly and gracefully onto the road thirty
yards ahead of the struggling band, bringing it to an abrupt stop. Vicia glared straight down on the merchant captain,
while Heinox cocked himself slightly to the side in a look of deep puzzlement.

"Merchant Pezi? And a week ahead of time?" The merchant reined in his horse, which was well used to the sight of
this particular, dragon, and dismounted. He hitched his pants and started up toward the beast on foot. Pezi was fat and
out of breath, and his pants immediately gave up and slipped back to their original position. He stopped to hitch them
again, but couldn't find the strength. He looked up at Heinox and nodded. "Your Dragonship," Pezi acknowledged,
puffing.

"Why so soon? And so hurried?" Heinox asked.

"And why do you bring soldiers to my nest?" added Vicia.

"I didn't bring them. They brought themselves." "Against me?" Vicia growled.

"Against me," the fat man muttered. He pulled a handkerchief from his handbag and blew his nose. It was a purple and
red handkerchief, the colors of the merchant house of Uda. Pezi's own colors were dark blue and lime, the colors of the
house of Ognadzu. Perhaps Pezi became self-conscious, for he explained: "It's a Uda trade gimmick. Free hankies. Let
me blow my nose on the opposition." The dragon didn't comment, and Pezi shoved the scarf back into his bag. "What
is happening is this. I've got some valuable cargo, your Dragonship, and a certain ruler of Chaomonous-" "Who?"
asked Vicia.

"-who shall remain nameless, tried to steal it away." The two heads rose into the air, and looked one another in the eye.
Pezi took several steps backward and looked around for a good place to run. When the dragon looked at himself, that