"Richard A. Knaak - The Kingdom Of Shadow" - читать интересную книгу автора (Knaak Richard A)

little more, and surely they could then free their comrade.

With the target much closer, one of the archers took aim.

тАЬHold yourтАФтАЭ was all Kentril got out before the shaft buried itself in the left eye.

The serpentine monster reared back in agony. It opened its mouth, but not enough to enable the
gravely-injured Hargo to fall free, even with two men pulling from the ground. Despite having no
appreciable limbs, the tentacle beast writhed back and forth so much that it began dragging all of its
adversaries toward the dark waters.

One of the men behind Gorst slipped, sending another there also falling. The imbalance threw the rest of
the mercenaries off. Benjin lost his grip, nearly stumbling into his captain in the process.

One orb a mass of ichor, the tentacle beast pulled back into the river.

тАЬHold him! Hold him!тАЭ Kentril shouted uselessly. Between the two ropes snaring the horns remained
only five men. Gorst, his huge form a mass of taut muscle, made up for the fact that he had only one other
mercenary with him, but in the end even his prodigious strength proved ineffective.

The back half of the gigantic reptile vanished under the water.

They had lost the battle; the captain knew that. In no way could they regain enough momentum to turn
the tide.

And Hargo, somehow madly clinging onto life and consciousness, obviously knew that as well as Kentril
Dumon did. His face a bloody mess, he shouted out hoarse pleas to all.

Kentril would not let this man go the same way the first one had. тАЬBenjin! Grab the line again!тАЭ

тАЬItтАЩs too late, captain! ThereтАЩs nothinтАЩтАФтАЭ

тАЬGrab hold of it, I said!тАЭ

The moment the other fighter had obeyed, Kentril ran over to the nearest archer. The bowman stood
transfixed, watching the unfolding fate of his unfortunate companion with a slack jaw and skin as pale as
bone.

тАЬYour bow! Give it to me!тАЭ

тАЬCaptain?тАЭ
 тАЬThe bow, damn you!тАЭ Kentril ripped it out of the uncomprehending archerтАЩs hands. Captain Dumon
had trained long and hard with the bow himself, and among his motley crew he could still count himself as
the second or third best shot.

For what he intended now, Kentril prayed he would have the eye of the best.

Without hesitation, the wiry commander raised the bow, sighting his target as he did. Hargo stared back
at him, and the pleas suddenly faltered. A look in the dying manтАЩs eyes begged the captain to fire quickly.