"Zelazny, Roger - The George Business" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zelazny Roger)

"In the tower to the west are the chambers of Rosalind, daughter of the Baron Maurice. She is very dear to his heart, and I wish to wed her."

"There is a problem?"

"Yes. She's attracted to big, brawny barbarian types, into which category I, alas, do not fall. In short, She doesn't like me."

"That is a problem."

"So if I could pay you to crash in there and abduct her, to bear her off to some convenient and isolated place and wait for me, I'll come along, we'll fake a battle, I'll vanquish you, you fly away and I'll take her home. I am certain I will then appear sufficiently heroic in her eyes to rise from sixth to first position on her list of suitors. How does that sound to you?"

Dart sighed a long column of smoke.

"Human, I bear your kind no special fondness Ч particularly the armored variety with lances Ч so I don't know why I'm telling you this... Well, I do know actually... But never mind. I could manage it, all right. But if you win the hand of the maid, do you know what's going to happen? The novelty of your deed will wear off after a time Ч and you know there will be no encore. Give her a year, I'd say, and you'll catch her fooling around with one of those brawny barbarians she finds so attractive. Then you must either fight him and be slaughtered or wear horns, as they say."

George laughed.

"It's nothing to me how she spends her free time. I've a girlfriend in town myself."

Dart's eyes widened.

"I'm afraid I don't understand..."

"She's the old baron's only offspring, and he's on his last legs. Why else do you think an uncomely wench like that would have six suitors? Why else would I gamble my life's savings to win her?"

"I see," said Dart. "Yes I can understand greed."

"I call it desire for security."

"Quite. In that case, forget my simple-minded advice. All right, give me the gold and I'll do it." Dart gestured with one gleaming vane. "The first valley in those western mountains seems far enough from my home for our confrontation."

"I'll pay you half now and half on delivery."

"Agreed. Be sure to have the balance with you, though, and drop it during the scuffle. I'll return for it after you two have departed. Cheat me and I'll repeat the performance, with a different ending."

"The thought had already occurred to me. Ч Now, we'd better practice a bit, to make it look realistic. I'll rush at you with the lance, and whatever side she's standing on, I'll aim for it and pass you on the other. You raise that wing, grab the lance and scream like hell. Blow a few flames around, too."

"I'm going to see you scour the tip of that lance before we rehearse this."

"Right. Ч I'll release the lance while your holding it next to you and rolling around. Then I'll dismount and rush toward you with my blade. I'll whack you with the flat of it Ч again, on the far side Ч a few times. Then you bellow again and fly away."

"Just how sharp is that thing, anyway?"

"Damned dull. It was my grandfather's. Hasn't been honed since he was a boy."

"And you drop the money in the fight?"

"Certainly. Ч How does that sound?"

"Not bad. I can have a few clusters of red berries under my wing, too. I'll squash them once the action gets going."