"Feist, Raymond E - Faerie Tale 1.0" - читать интересную книгу автора (Feist Raymond E)

Bad Luck tensed and began to growl, his hackles com-
ing up. Patrick reached down and grabbed his collar as
he was about to charge under the bridge. "No!" he
shouted as the dog pulled him along, and Bad Luck
stopped, though he whined to be let loose.

"We better get back," said Sean. "It'll be dinner soon."

"Yeah, dinner," agreed Patrick, finding it difficult to
drag his eyes from the blackness under the bridge. Step
by step they backed away, Bad Luck reluctantly obeying
Patrick's command to come with them, whining with his
tail between his legs, then barking.

"Hey!" came a shout from behind, and both boys
jumped at the sound, their chests constricting with fright.
Patrick hung on to Bad Luck's collar and the Labrador

snarled and spun around to protect the boys, pulling Pat-
rick off balance.

Patrick stumbled forward and Sean fell upon the dog's
neck, helping to hold him back from attacking the man
who had come up behind them.

The man held out his hands to show he meant no
harm. Bad Luck struggled to be free. "Stop it," shouted
Sean and the dog backed away, growling at the stranger.

Both boys looked the man over. He was young,
though not recognized as such by the boys, for anyone
over the age of eighteen was a grown-up.

The stranger examined the two boys. Both had curly
brown hair protruding from under baseball caps, deep-set
large blue eyes, and round faces. Had they been girls,
they would have been considered pretty. When older,
they would likely be counted handsome. The stranger
smiled, and said, "Sorry to have scared you boys and
your dog. It's my own damn fault. I shouldn't have
shouted. I should've known the dog'd be jumpy." He
spoke with a soft, musical voice, different from what the
boys were used to hearing.

Seeing no immediate threat to the boys, Bad Luck
stopped his growling and reserved judgment on this
stranger. The boys exchanged glances.

"Look, I'm sorry I startled you guys, okay?"