"Joel Rosenberg - Omnibus 03 - To Home and Ehvenor" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rosenberg Joel C)

eyes, not exactly, and visualized the release, the string leaving my finger in perfect formтАФsmoothly,
evenly, instantly, not with a plucking loose.

I let go, and in less than a heartbeat, the arrow was quivering in the limb, a full three feet to the right of
where the crow had taken flight.

Jason snickered. "Off by a full arrow's-length. Not too good, Uncle Walter."

Tennetty caught my eye; the corners of her lips were turned up. If it had been anybody else, I'd call the
expression a smile. "See how close you can come to his arrow, Jason Cullinane. I'm curious."

Jason brought up his bow and loosed too soon, the string loud against his leathers. The arrow
disappeared into the forest.

Tennetty laughed out loud, and Jason started to bristle, but caught himself.

"Well," he said, "let's say we start hunting in that direction."

"After," I said. "Let's fire some more practice arrows first."
***

Hunting, like fishingтАФand sex, for that matterтАФis one of those things where you really have to be there
to understand it.

Except for the killing part, I like it, a lot. At least the way we did it. You stalk across the floor of the
dark forest, the comforting rot of leaves and humus in your nostrils, listening, watching intentlyтАФand
without worrying about somebody jumping out from behind a tree and killing you. It's a good thing.

At my side were people I trusted, because I don't go hunting with people I don't trust.
 There are other ways to do it. One of the best ways to actually catch food involves finding a good spot
and waiting for the game to pass by. You sit, conserving energy, and wait. Eventually, if you've picked
your spot right, your rabbit comes into view, or your deer, or antelope or whatever. But that's survival
hunting.

This was more fun. Back on the Other Side, I never could move this quietly. I'm not complaining, mind,
but being one of the big guys isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Trust me.

Besides, we weren't really hunting. What we were doing was relaxing, and by the time we'd worked our
way into the forest, firing a few practice shots here and there, I'd managed to get rid of my jumpiness.
For now.

Just as well. "Jason, you see that stump over there?" I asked, pointing to one about forty yards away.

"The one just behind that fallen tree?"

"Right. Bet I can put an arrow into that root, the one that bends up to the right."

He shrugged. "So can I."

"From here?" I raised an eyebrow. "A silver mark to who gets closer?"