"Arkady & Boris Strugatsky - Hard to be a god" - читать интересную книгу автора (Strugatski Arkady)

ferns to
the left of the path, while he himself leapt into the ferns to the
right. He
slipped at first, and then hid behind the evil-smelling lichen
foam. The
echo of the hoarse voice still rang through the wood, but the
path was
empty. Suddenly everything was quiet.
Anton turned to one side to bend his bow, when an arrow hit
close by.
Dirt showered down on him. The hoarse, unhuman voice announced:
"Milord has been hit in the heel!"
Anton moaned and pulled up his left
"Not that one, it's the right heel!" corrected the voice.
He could hear Pashka giggle nearby. Cautiously, Anton peered
out from
the ferns, but he could not see him anywhere in the dusky, green
jungle.
At that moment, a penetrating, whistling sound came and a thud
as if a
tree were falling to the ground.
"Owoooooo!" howled Pashka in a tortured voice. "Have mercy!
Spare my

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Arkadi and Boris Strugatski. Hard to be a god

life! Don't kill me!"
Anton leapt to his feet. From the thicket of ferns he saw
Pashka
approach in an unsteady gait, both arms raised above his head.
Anka's voice
asked:
"Toshka, can you see him?"
"Yes, I can," called Anton cheerfully. "Don't move!" he
yelled in
Pashka's direction. "Put your hands on top of your head!"
Pashka obediently clasped his hands above his head and declared:
"I won't tell a thing."
"What shall we do with him, Toshka?" asked Anka.
"You'll find out in just a minute," said Anton, settling
comfortably on
the ground and placing his crossbow across his knees.
"Name!" he croaked, using the voice of the witch of Irukan.
Pashka simply arched his back and made a contemptuous gesture.
He did
not want to submit to defeat. Anton fired. The heavy arrow
noisily
penetrated the branches above Pashka's head.
"Wow!" exclaimed Anka.