"Jack Vance - Tschai 3 - The DirDir" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vance Jack)

Traz said in a matter-of-fact voice, "There is a Phung back there. Or it has not long
departed."

"How do you know?"

"I smell it. I feel the pressure."

Reith turned to the Dirdir. Step by step they came, effulgences sparkling up from their heads.
Reith spoke in a fateful croak: "Back, into the cave. Perhaps we can set up some kind of ambush."

Anacho gave a stifled groan; Traz said nothing. The three retreated through the dark, across
the carpet of brittle granules. Traz touched Reith's arm. He whispered, "Notice the light behind
us. The Phung is close at hand."

Reith halted, to strain his eyes into the dark. He saw no light. Silence pressed upon them.

Reith now thought to hear the faintest of scraping sounds. Cautiously he crept back through the
dark, gun ready. And now he sensed yellow light: a wavering glimmer reflecting against the cave-
wall. The scrape-scrape-scrape was somewhat louder. With the utmost caution Reith peered around a
jut of rock, into a chamber. A Phung sat, back half-turned, burnishing its brachial plates with a
file. An oil lamp emitted a yellow glow; to the side a broad-brimmed black hat and a cloak hung
from a peg.

Four Dirdir stood in the mouth of the cave, shields in front, weapons ready; their effulgences,
standing high, furnished their only light.

Traz plucked one of the horny hemispheres from the wall. He threw it at the Phung, which gave a
startled cluck. Traz pressed Anacho and Reith back behind the jut of rock.

The Phung came forth; they could see its shadow against the glimmer of lamp-light. It returned
into its chamber, once more came forth, and now it wore its hat and cloak.

For a moment it stood silent, not four feet from Reith, who thought the creature must surely
hear the thud-thud-thud of his heart.

The Dirdir came three bounds forward, effulgences casting a wan white glow around the chamber.
The Phung stood like an eight-foot statue, shrouded in its cloak. It gave a cluck or two of
chagrin, then a sudden series of whirling hops took it among the Dirdir. For a taut instant,
Dirdir and Phung surveyed each other. The Phung swung out its arms, swept two Dirdir together,
squeezing and crushing both. The remaining Dirdir, backing silently away, swung up their weapons.
The Phung leaped on them, dashing the weapons aside. It tore the head from one; the other fled,
with the Dirdir who had stood guard outside. They ran through the pond; the Phung danced a queer
circular jig, sprang forth, leaped ahead of them, kicking water into a spray. It pushed one under
the surface and stood on him, while the other ran up the valley. The Phung presently stalked in
pursuit.

Reith, Traz and Anacho darted from the cave and made for the sky-car. The surviving Dirdir saw
them and gave a despairing scream. The Phung was momentarily distracted; the Dirdir dodged behind
a rock, then with desperate speed dashed past the Phung. He seized one of the weapons which had
previously been knocked from his hand, and burned off one of the Phung's legs. The Phung fell in a