"Andre Norton - Solar Queen 03- Voodoo Planet" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

could walk. I have listened to the talk of Trackers, Hunters, Rangers in my fatherтАЩs courtyards and field
camps since I could understand their words. Yet never has any man reported the finding of a body of a graz
that died a natural death. The scavengers might well account for the bulk of flesh, but the tusks and the
bones should be visible for years. And this, too, I have seen with my own eyes: a graz close to death,
supported by two of its kind and being urged along to the big swamps. Perhaps it is only that the suffering
animal longs for water at its end, or perhaps in the heart of that morass there does lie the graz graveyard.
But no man has found a naturally dead graz, nor has any returned from exploring the big swamps . . . .тАЭ

Lightning on peaks which were like polished jetтАФbare rock above, the lush overgrowth of jungle below.
And between, this fortress held by men who dared both the heights and the depths. The wildly burgeoning
life of Khatka had surrounded the off-worlders since they had come here. There was something untameable
about Khatka; the lush planet lured and yet repelled at the same time.

тАЬZoboru far from here?тАЭ

The Chief Ranger pointed north in answer to the captainтАЩs question.

тАЬAbout a hundred leagues. It is the first new preserve we have prepared in ten years. And it is our desire to
make it the best for tri-dee hunters. That is why we are now operating taming teamsтАФтАЭ

тАЬTaming teams?тАЭ Dane had to ask.
The Chief Ranger was ready enough to discuss his project.

тАЬZoboru is a no-kill preserve. The animals, they come to learn that after a while. But we cannot wait
several years until they do. So we make them gifts.тАЭ He laughed, evidently recalling some incident.
тАЬSometimes, perhaps, we are too eager. Most of our visitors who wish to make tri-dees want to picture big
gameтАФgraz, amplet, rock apes, lionsтАФтАЭ

тАЬLions?тАЭ echoed Dane.

тАЬNot Terran lions, no. But my people, when they landed on Khatka, found a few animals that reminded
them of those they had always known. So they gave those the same names. A Khatkan lion is furred, it is a
hunter and a great fighter, but it is not the cat of Terra. However, it is in great demand as a tri-dee actor. So
we summon it out of lurking by providing free meals. One shoots a poli, a water rat, or a lan-deer and
drags the carcass behind a low-flying flitter. The lion springs upon the moving meat, which it can also
scent, and the rope is cut, leaving a free dinner.

тАЬThe lions are not stupid. In a very short time they connect the sound of a flitter cutting the air with food.
So they come to the banquet and those on the flitter can take their tri-dee shots at ease. Only there must
also be care taken in such training. One forest guard on the Komog preserve became too enterprising. He
dragged his kill at first. Then, to see if he could get the lions to forget manтАЩs presence entirely, he hung the
training carcasses on the flitter, encouraging them to jump for their food.

тАЬFor the guard that was safe enough, but it worked too too well. A month or so later a Hunter was escorting
a client through Komog and they swung low to get a good picture of a water rat emerging from the river.
Suddenly there was a snarl behind them and they found themselves sharing the flitter with a lioness
annoyed at finding no meat waiting on board.

тАЬLuckily, they both wore stass belts, but they had to land the flitter and leave until the lioness wandered
off, and she seriously damaged the machine in her irritation. So now our guards play no more fancy tricks