"Ann Durand - Flight of the Gryphon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Durand Ann)

He arrived at the tree and pressed the Insertech into the weakened area. Designed to cut through bone
and tissue, he hoped it would make short work of his task. He released the safety clip and adjusted the
beam to three inches by four inches, the largest capacity for a cut. He would need to slice through the
tree at an angle so that it fell over the takatak. Yet, he had to make it look like a natural break in the
event that Askins investigated the scene.

He turned on the device and allowed the beam to slice into the thick trunk. In the distance, the raucous
call of distant takataks resounded through long valley between the Shirkas. The secluded bird in the
clearing raised its great head, opened its crooked, black beak and screeched back.

His temples pounding, Mike struggled with the Insertech as the call of the takataks grew louder. Pressing
the 'dissect' icon in furious repetition, the cut deepened. The tree creaked loudly and leaned unsteadily
forward, swaying as if it might topple any second. With a sickened awareness, he saw that it was going
to miss the takatak by a few feet. He looked over at Katera, who was watching him closely. She seemed
to understand the dilemma, pointing first to the takatak, then to the tree while shaking her head.

He was about to shout at her to flee into the forest when, without warning, she stepped out of the trees
on her hoshdel and into the clearing in full view.

"Hey!" she called, to the takatak. "C'mere, you ugly bird."

The takatak swiveled its head toward Katera and pinned her with its obsidian-dark eyes. Mike sucked in
his breath. She was baiting the bird to lure it within range of the tree when it fell. His heart drummed like a
wild thing inside his chest as he dove into the clearing to distract the bird from Katera.
"Over here!" he shouted, but the takatak ignored him.

It extended its one good wing out ten feet and stood up to face Katera. Another screech, and the bird
tottered a step toward her and stopped. It drew in its good wing and stood waiting, looking dangerously
alert. Katera edged closer, her hoshdel snorting nervously.

"C'mon!" she shouted, her voice shaking.

Realizing that he had to act quickly, Mike jumped behind the tree with renewed vigor. He jammed the
Insertech into the break and pushed through another three inches, then another…and another…almost
there. When he glanced back into the clearing, the takatak was extending its head toward Katera,
preparing to strike. Katera was ten feet away, a mere hop for this bird, even with a broken wing. He
pressed the Insertech for another slice, and with a loud crack, the tree began its descent in slow motion.

At the same moment, he watched in horror as the takatak's feet left the ground in a wide leap toward
Katera. The hoshdel reared up, flailing its front legs at the bird, which was in mid-air. The takatak landed
with a great thud in front of Katera as the toppling tree neared the ground. The bird reached around the
hoshdel, poked its great beak through Katera's spullera, and plucked her out of the saddle like a piece of
lint on a Shalpacan coat.

Good God, Mike thought. She's going to get crushed under the tree with the bird.

The takatak stretched its neck forward in obvious delight and let out a muffled screech. An answering call
from the approaching flock, now ominously close, sounded just as the tree smashed into the bird's
middle, snapping its backbone and crushing it into the ground. Katera burst from its beak like a shot,