"Douglas Smith - Spirit Dance" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith Douglas)

away but said he'd be back to explain more and help me."
She got up then and walked to me slowly, as if trying not to frighten away
an animal that had strayed in from the forest. She sat beside me, her leg
brushing against mine, her breath cool and sweet on my face. I noticed
something else.
"Your cheek," I began, reaching out.
She turned away. "He hit me."
"Your stepfather?"
She nodded.
I turned her face back to me with a finger on her chin. "Why?"
She looked down. "He was ... touching me. I made him stop."
My squeezed her shoulder. "Has he tried this before?"
"No," she said with a sneer. "He's always saved his special attentions for
Mom." She leaned against me, her head against my shoulder. "I hate him and
I'm scared, Gwyn." Her voice was low but firm. "I wish I had your
strength, your powers."
Wrapping my arms around her, I held her for a long time, neither of us
speaking. Technically, I had to petition the Circle first, but I was never
much on policy. To me it was her right. I thought of her mom and Tom
Barker. I thought of Tom with her.
"You'll have my powers," I said. "I'll give you your birthright."
She sat straight up. "You can do that? How?"
I grinned. "Well, there's the classical method or the modern approach,
plus some, uh, variations. In the classical scenario, I shape shift and
savagely attack you. Unique microorganisms in my saliva and in oils
excreted from my claw tips enter your blood stream through your various
wounds, meeting up with some equally unique enzymes which those with the
Mark carry. This results in a mutated enzyme that modifies your cell
structure. You're then of the Herok'a, assuming you survive my attack."
She snuggled close again. "Well, I like where you attack me, but not the
various wounds part."
"Chicken. Okay, the modern version then. I make an incision somewhere you
don't mind having scars, and apply a poultice moistened with my blood."
She wrinkled her nose. "Saliva, oils, blood. The Herok'a don't practice
safe shifting, do they?"
"We're immune to most human viral and bacterial infections, including
AIDS. Some Herok'a diseases exist, but they're treatable."
"Hoof and mouth disease?"
"Smart ass."
Leiddia laughed then looked thoughtful. "So I need to get certain of your
bodily fluids into my bloodstream." She moved to rest her chin on my
shoulder. "You mentioned variations?"
I stroked her hair. "They involve, uh, other bodily fluids."
She leaned forward, brushing her lips against mine. "And other methods of
application?"
I nodded, pulling her to me into a long kiss. "So," I asked after a while,
"which method would the patient prefer?"
"I'll try," she said, between kisses, "the variations."
Several variations later, we were both asleep.