"T. H. White - The Once and Future King" - читать интересную книгу автора (White T.H)

smoothness of her dress, looking at her beseechingly. The whites of his eyes rolled with an upward
flash. He settled his hind quarters coyly, and lay still, looking up. His eyes brimmed with trustfulness,
and he lifted his near fore in a gesture of pawing. It was a movement in the air only, which said, "Now
attend to me. Give me some love. Stroke my mane, will you, please?"
There was a choking noise from Agravaine in the ambush, and at once he was rushing toward the
unicorn, with the sharp boar-spear in his hands. The other boys squatted upright on their heels, watching
him.
Agravaine came to the unicorn, and began jabbing his spear into its quarters, into its slim belly, into its
ribs. He squealed as he jabbed, and the unicorn looked to Meg in anguish. It leaped and moved
suddenly, still looking at her reproachfully, and Meg took its horn in one hand. She seemed entranced,
unable to help it. The unicorn did not seem able to move from the soft grip of her hand on its horn. The
blood, caused by Agravaine's spear, spurted out upon the blue-white coat of hair.
Gareth began running, with Gawaine close after him. Gaheris came last, stupid and not knowing what to
do.
"Don't!" cried Gareth. "Leave him alone. Don't Don't!"
Gawaine came up, just as Agravaine's spear went in under the fifth rib. The unicorn shuddered. He
trembled in all his body, and stretched his hind legs out behind. They went out almost straight, as if he
were doing his greatest leapтАФand then quivered, trembling in the agony of death. All the time his eyes
were fixed on Meg's eyes, and she still looked down at his.


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"What are you doing?" shouted Gawaine. "Leave him alone. No harm at him."
"Oh, Unicorn," whispered Meg.
The unicorn's legs stretched out horizontally behind him, and stopped trembling. His head dropped in
Meg's lap. After a last kick they became rigid, and the blue lids rose half over the eye. The creature lay
still.
"What have you done?" cried Gareth. "You have killed him. He was beautiful."
Agravaine bawled, "This girl is my mother. He put his head in her lap. He had to die."
"We said we would keep him," yelled Gawaine. "We said we would take him home, and be allowed to
supper."
"Poor unicorn," said Meg.
"Look," said Gaheris, "I am afraid he is dead."
Gareth stood square in front of Agravaine, who was three years older than he was and could have
knocked him down quite easily. "Why did you do it?" he demanded. "You are a murderer. It was a
lovely unicorn. Why did you kill it?"
"His head was in our mother's lap."
"It did not mean any harm. Its hoofs were silver."
"It was a unicorn, and it had to be killed. I ought to have killed Meg too."
"You are a traitor," said Gawaine. "We could have taken it home, and been allowed to serve at supper."
"Anyway," said Gaheris, "now it is dead."
Meg bowed her head over the unicorn's forelock of white, and once again began to sob.
Gareth began stroking the head. He had to turn away to hide his tears. By stroking it, he had found out
how smooth and soft its coat was. He had seen a near view of its eye, now quickly fading, and this had
brought the tragedy home to him,
"Well, it is dead now, whatever," said Gaheris for the third time. "We had better take it home."
"We managed to catch one," said Gawaine, the wonder of their achievement beginning to dawn on him.