"Gordon R. Dickson - Call him lord" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

"So, boy . . ." said Kyle soothingly to the stallion. Hastily
he untied the big white horse, saddled him, and set out after
the Prince. In the darkness, there was no way of ground-
tracking the gelding; but he leaned forward and blew into the
ear of the stallion. The surprised horse neighed in protest and
the whinny of the gelding came back from the darkness of the
slope up ahead and over to Kyle's right. He rode in that
direction.
He caught the Prince on the crown of the hill. The young
man was walking the gelding, reins loose, and singing under
his breaththe same song in an unknown language he had
sung earlier. But, now as he saw Kyle, he grinned loosely and
began to sing with more emphasis. For the first time Kyle
caught the overtones of something mocking and lusty about
the incomprehensible words. Understanding broke suddenly
in him.
"The girl!" he said. "The little waitress. Where is she?"
The grin vanished from the Prince's face, then came slowly
back again. The grin laughed at Kyle.
"Why, where d'you think?" The words slurred on the
Prince's tongue and Kyle, riding close, smelled the beer heavy
on the young man's breath. "In her room, sleeping and happy.
Honored . . . though she doesn't know it . . . by an Emperor's
son. And expecting to find me there in the morning. But I
won't be. Will we, good Kyle?"
"Why did you do it, Lord?" asked Kyle, quietly.
"Why?" The Prince peered at him, a little drunkenly in the
moonlight. "Kyle, my father has four sons. I've got three
younger brothers. But I'm the one who's going to be Emper-
or; and Emperors don't answer questions."
Kyle said nothing. The Prince peered at him. They rode on
together for several minutes in silence.
"All right, I'll tell you why," said the Prince, more loudly,
after a while as if the pause had been only momentary. "It's
because you're not my bodyguard, Kyle. You see, I've seen
through you. I know whose bodyguard you are. You're
theirs!"
Kyle's jaw tightened. But the darkness hid his reaction.
"All right" The Prince gestured loosely, disturbing his
balance in the saddle. "That's all right. Have it your way. I
don't mind. So, we'll play points. There was that lout at the
beer gaiBea Who put his hands on me Bat no one would tell
me his name, yoa said. All right, you managed to bodyguard '
him. One point for you. But you didn't manage to bodyguard
the girl at the inn back there; One point for me. Who's going
to win, good Kyle?"
Kyle took a deep breath.
"Lord," he said, "some day it'll be your duty to marry a
woman from Earth"
The Prince interrupted him with a laugh, and this time