"Karen Koehler - Slayer 02 - Dragon Blood" - читать интересную книгу автора (Koehler Karen)

Kage spoke up. тАЬThere was interference, Ryuujin. A slayer appeared to protect the woman.тАЭ

How the hell did Kage know it was a slayer?

тАЬOh. I see.тАЭ Mr. Ashikawa took off his glasses and closed down his laptop.

Charlie felt his heart sink. But it wasnтАЩt fear; it was much worse than that. Mr. Ashikawa was his tether
here in America, his fucking sensei. And Mr. Ashikawa taught that when you fail your sensei you fail
yourself. You have no honor. And a man with no honor is a man with no life.

тАЬTell me about this other banpaia,тАЭ Mr. Ashikawa said.

Charlie chewed some more on his tongue. Now was not the time to fall apart. In solitude and silence,
yes, but not here. тАЬI have never seen him before, Ryuujin. He was tall and very lean. Black hair to his
waist. Dark eyes. He moved like an animal, Ryuujin. And he had an unusual sword.тАЭ

тАЬTell me about the sword.тАЭ

Charlie shivered at the memory. The banpaia lost in its personal rage...like a machine. тАЬIt was a katana
with a white jade hilt like two asps.тАЭ

Again Mr. Ashikawa looked past him. Again he sought something from Kage.

Kage nodded. тАЬTwo asps. The sword of the Slayer.тАЭ

7

тАЬTell me about the Slayer,тАЭ The Ryuujin said when he had dismissed the boy.

Kage went to the wet bar in the office and poured the Ryuujin a scotch. After decades of service to the
Dragon Lord of the Yakuza it was entirely unnecessary that the Ryuujin speak his needs verbally. Kage
could read them. More, they were his own needs. It was like the scotch. The desire for the drink was
KageтАЩs own, though logically it could not be.

Kage served the Ryuujin his drink on a silver serving dish.

It was similarly unnecessary that the Ryuujin ask about the Slayer. Kage knew of his interest because the
RyuujinтАЩs interest was his own, though in reality the being whom the streets called the Slayer was of
reluctant interest to Kage. The Ryuujin simply chose to verbalize many of his needs. As a human, such
things were a comfort to him. As a comforting thing to the Ryuujin, such things became important to
Kage.

They were bound, after all--in blood, in life, and possibly even in death.

тАЬThe Slayer,тАЭ said Kage. They spoke English now, but they also spoke on a much deeper level of
understanding. тАЬHis name is Alek Knight, and he was the first acolyte of Amadeus and heir to the seat of
Covenmaster of New York City. Two years ago he suffered the sins of what he became and betrayed
his Coven. He slew several prominent slayers, among them Robot, Aristotle and Takara. His master was
his last victim.тАЭ