"Ardath Mayhar - Khi to Freedom" - читать интересную книгу автора (Mayhar Ardath)

well impressed with his bearing and his manner. They were not at all
surprised to learn that the Khi wanted him to come to them, though they
were most amused when I told them how he had been induced to go into
the treetopsтАФdid I mention that one of our larger beasts darted from its
burrow and almost had us both for breakfast? Even a Varlian never went
into a tree more quickly than this newcomer did when faced with those
big teeth.
The Elders did not, of course, require that I take this one to the Khi.
Our society is not organized in that way. Each does the thing that he does
well and happily, which makes for both harmony and good workmanship.
My roving nature makes me something of a messenger and scout, and I
enjoy moving about the forest, even with those grublike creatures hacking
and smashing their way around it. I volunteered to go with our guest, and
Owl, my mateтАЩs sister, said that she would accompany us.
So it was that I set out for the valley of the Khi for the second time in a
very short span. This time I was burdened with this large brown Hale
Enbo, but Owl took the most onerous duties upon herself, leaving me free
to scout through the wood, to watch for the Ginli (EnboтАЩs term for them,
which is more respectable than ours), and to rest while waiting for my
companions to make their laborious way to me so that we might go on
together.
It was a strange thing. The longer that I remained in the company of
this oversized, ill-smelling creature, the fonder I grew of him. There was
something about himтАФa childlike good will and interest in everything that
made me think of him as one of the young. Willful, at times, and not
always wise, but worth the effort of guiding and protecting.



V.

Hale Enbo
We traveled at what seemed to me to be a good pace, though I could tell
that the Varlian was frustrated at being unable to go skitting through the
trees as he was used to doing. He kept looking up longingly, then gazing
sidewise at my obviously inadequate arms. I noticed, as he trudged along,
that he was getting a bit footsore, too. It still seemed fast to me.
While I trusted the Varlian (IтАЩd never known one that wasnтАЩt straight), I
did keep a cautious eye peeled for anything that looked dangerous. No
Scout can move through strange country without doing that as a matter of
habit. And I knew that the fact that there were no arboreal predators
didnтАЩt mean that plenty didnтАЩt wander down here on the ground. It was
just as well I kept lookoutтАж as we crossed a shallow stream, I saw
something blue (it stood out like a spotlight because of its color) sliding
from beneath a rock.
The Varlian was standing on that very rock, getting ready to step into
the water. I grunted and pointed. He jumped like a monkey, clearing the
rest of the distance to the bank, and I was right behind him. That snake
looked poisonous, flat-headed, wide at the jawline where venom sacs
would be.