"Michael Kane - 01 - Warriors Of Mars" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moorcock Michael)

turned upside down. He had found a small town
that was never likely to change muchЧand he liked
it. The way of life he led now was radically differ-
ent from the one he had been used to, and it
seemed to suit him.

We first met when I had accepted a dare by my
young pals to climb the fence of his house and see
if I could observe what M. Clarchet was up to. At
that time we were all convinced he was a spy of
some description! He had caught me, but instead
of shooting me, as I half-expected, he had laughed
good-naturedly and sent me on my way. I liked
him at once.

Soon after that we kids had a phase which was a
sequel to seeing Ronald Colman in The Prisoner of
Zenda. We all became Ruperts and Rudolfs for a
time. With long canes for swords, we fenced one
another to exhaustionЧnot very skilfully but with a
lot of enthusiasm!

On a sunny afternoon in early summer, it so hap-
pened that I and another boy, Johnny Bulmer,
were duelling for the throne of Ruritania just out-
side M. Clarchet's house. Suddenly there came a
great shout from the house and we wheeled in as-
tonishment.

"Non! Non! Non!" The Frenchman was plainly
exasperated. "That ees wrong, wrong, wrong! That
ees not how a gentleman fences!"

He rushed from his garden and seized my cane,
adopting a graceful fencing stance and facing a
startled Johnny, who just stood there with his
mouth open.

"Now," he said to Johnny, "you do ze same, oui?"

Johnny inelegantly copied his posture.

"Now, you thrustЧso!" The cane darted out in a
flicker of movement and stopped just short of
Johnny's chest.

Johnny copied himЧand was parried with equal
swiftness. We were amazed and delighted by this
time. Here was a man who would have been a
good match for Rupert of Hentzau.