"Gordon R. Dickson - Dragon Knight 03 - The Dragon on the Border" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

because he had picked up a certain amount of magical energy in being transported along with Angie back
to this world, he seemed to have attracted the particular animosity of the Dark Powers, at work here.

Carolinus, who was one of this world’s three AAA+ rated magicians and lived by The Tinkling Water,
near Jim’s own castle of Malencontri, had warned Jim that the Dark Powers were out to get him,
particularly and simply, because he was more difficult to handle than someone native-born to this world
and time.

However, all that was beside the point now. The fact was that, almost as soon as Dafydd had spoken
up, Jim had begun to feel the bite of the air even more sharply through his armor and padding than he had
before. Also, for some reason-emotional, no doubt-the sun seemed closer to the horizon than it had been
even a couple of minutes earlier.

Moreover, the wisps of mists over the moorland were indeed thickening, lying like thick threads of
smoke here and there some two to six feet above the grass; and now beginning to join up with each
other, so that soon all the moor would be cloaked in mist; and it might well be perilous to try to continue
riding under those conditions-

“Hah!” said Brian suddenly, “here is something that comes with the night, that we had not counted on!”

Jim and Dafydd followed the line of his pointing finger. Some little distance ahead of them, the mist had
thinned to reveal movement beyond it. Movement which now emerged into full view to reveal itself as five
horsemen. As they got closer, for they were riding directly toward Jim and his two Companions,
something strange about them struck all three men.

“All Saints preserve us!” ejaculated Brian, crossing himself, “They ride either upon air or on invisible
horses!”

What he said was beyond dispute.

The five indeed appeared to be riding thin air. From the movement of their bodies and their height above
the ground, it was easy to see that they were on horseback and that their phantom steeds were moving;
but there was nothing visible between their legs and the ground.

“What unholy thing is this?” demanded Brian. Beneath the up-turned visor of his helmet his face had
paled. It was a square-boned, rather lean face with burning blue eyes above a hooked nose; and his chin
was square and pugnacious with a slight dent in the middle of it. “James, is it magic of some kind?”

The fact that it might be magic, rather than something unholy, plainly offered to take a great deal of the
superstitious awe out of the situation for Brian. But from Jim’s point of view it did nothing to render less
perilous the physical aspect of it. The three of them; he, Brian and Dafydd, with only two of them in
armor, were facing what appeared to be five full-armored knights, their visors down and all holding heavy
lances. It was a prospect that made his blood run cold; much more so than anything supernatural would
have done. Not so with Brian.

“I think it’s magic,” answered Jim, more to reassure the other than for any other reason.

There remained the faint hope in Jim that the approach of the five might not be unfriendly. But this was
firmly and forbiddingly enough dissipated. As those approaching got closer, a movement by each of them
clearly announced their intent.