"02 - Torment" - читать интересную книгу автора (McGough Scott)

of his blade poised over the trooper's eye. He stared

defiantly at the officer.

"Get stuffed. You're not touching me."

The officer opened his beak in a cruel aven smiled.

"You're hostile, even for a criminal. And now that you've

attacked us, we have every right to take you down. Luckily,

I think you're young enough to be successfully

rehabilitated." He drew his own sword, and the bird at his

feet croaked ominously.

Chainer knew that when members of the Order spoke of

rehabilitation they really meant brainwashing. As he

prepared to fight and run, Chainer reached down to check

the satchel at his side. As soon as his fingers made

contact through the tough leather, the Nantuko suddenly

exploded into violent motion. The mantis rose up and

shrieked a trilling, high-pitched alarm. It flailed its

forelimbs wildly as it tried to strike at Chainer, and it

accidentally knocked the officer into the bird.

Chainer nimbly dove over the mantis's sharp-hooked

appendage and rolled onto his feet. He began to run, but

the mantis sprang into the air and landed well ahead of him

on the path. It was still chit-tering and swinging wildly.

Chainer had never fought a Nantuko before and wasn't

sure where he should aim his chain. He hesitated, and in

that moment noticed that the mantis wasn't trying to strike