"Jeffrey Lord - Blade 25 - Torian Pearls." - читать интересную книгу автора (Lord Jeffery)

Blade had taken the other tests wearing only a loinguard and sandals. For the test of swordsmanship he
pulled on boots, kilt, belt, and leather wrist braces, as well as the two swords. None of the clothing
would restrict his movements in the least-or protect him from Rehod's swords if the padding came off.

Blade stepped out into the middle of the circle and waited for Rehod. The baudz came trotting out, head
lowered like a bull about to charge. The man looked rather like a bull, too. He was half a head shorter
than Blade but a good deal wider. His arms were nearly as thick as Blade's legs and his legs looked like
the trunks of young trees, while his hands made even his longsword look like a child's toy. Rehod moved
well, though, so Blade knew he would be facing a man fast enough to put all his bull-like strength to
effective use.
 The two swordsmen moved toward each other. Blade held his longsword in his right hand, raised to
slash down, and his shortsword in the left, ready to either guard or thrust home. Rehod, who was
left-handed, did exactly the opposite.

As usual when he wanted to size up an opponent, Blade let Rehod make the first attack. Another minute
of circling, then Rehod flew at Blade like something propelled by an explosion. He seemed to be all
attack, no defense. His longsword whistled down toward Blade's head while his shortsword thrust at
Blade's stomach.

Blade easily blocked both attacks. His longsword rose to meet Rehod's with a ringing thud, while his
shortsword locked hard against Rehod's. Blade tried to twist his own sword free and turn the block into
a thrust at the other's groin, but Rehod was too strong for that. The swords scraped free of each other
and the two fighters each moved back a step. Blade realized that Rehod had attacked with only part of
his own strength and speed, also, testing his opponent. The next attack might be harder to meet.

Blade decided not to leave that much initiative in the hands of someone as dangerous as Rehod. Even
with blunted swords those head-cuts of his might still scramble the brains inside Blade's skull so they
could never be unscrambled by the medical skills of the Kargoi. Blade was never entirely at ease about
the possibility of brain damage which could make it impossible for the computer to reach him and draw
him home. He decided to let Rehod have two more attacks, then move in himself.

The pattern of the second attack was the same as the first, but as Blade expected it came in faster and
hit harder. The impact of meeting it made Blade's arms tingle as if he'd touched a live wire.

This time Blade didn't take a backward step after Rehod's attack. He held his ground, then went straight
into his own attack. Rehod was too strong and fast to be given that third attack. It was time to see what
the baudz could do on the defensive.

Blade's attack came in low, the shortsword leading. Rehod blocked the shortsword with his own and
struck down at Blade's arm with his longsword. If the blow had landed it would have snapped Blade's
arm like a rotten twig. Blade snatched his arm back just in time. As he did his longsword whirled up and
over, to smash its tip into Rehod's shoulder.

Shouts exploded from the watchers, wordless cries and hisses of indrawn breath, yells of "First struck!"
Rehod seemed not to notice the pain of the blow, but he did notice the shouts. His face set into an even
uglier mask than before, something Blade wouldn't have believed possible. Then he launched himself into
the attack again, at the exact moment Blade did the same.

The two men came at each other with no defenses at all, but by some miracle neither of them got a single