"William R. Forschten & Greg Morrison - Crystal Warriors 2 - Crystal Sorcerers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Forstchen William R)

which, strangely, had been untouched by the blast that had killed her. In life she must have been beautiful,
Giorgini thought sadly. Her hair was barely scorched, her features quiet, as if death had taken her by
surprise, not giving her time to feel pain. Who knows, he thought, perhaps he had even killed her in the
mad confusion of battle. He could remember two kills of enemy sorcerers for sure, both of them pounces
from above and behind. One of them had been a woman. He paused for a moment, lost in lonely
contemplation. Yet he was alive and she was dead, that was the simple fact of it, he tried to tell himself,
but the sickness of everything that had happened this day was impossible to shake.

A distant cry of pain echoed across the field, setting his hair on edge. A wounded demon. A moment
later there was a muffled flash of light and the demon scream was cut off. As if by instinct, he snapped his
defensive shield up.

"You stupid ass. Turn off that shield, someone might pick it up and come over here," snarled Younger
from out of the shadows.

Giorgini clenched his teeth, biting back a sharp return, and turned the shield down to its lowest power.
He glared back at Younger for a moment and then returned his attention to the body at his feet.

Why in the name of god did I leave the captain to desert with this jerk, he thought savagely. In
frustration he ripped the crystals from the belt around the woman's body and began to examine them.

Younger landed beside him just as he was fitting the crystals into the empty slots on his belt.

"How did you make out, Sergeant?"

Giorgini kept his face impassive while he struggled for control. What an asshole, he thought. The two of
us haven't a friend in this whole world and he wants to play lieutenant.

"Looks like I got a complete set except for a communications crystal," Giorgini replied coldly.

Giorgini was glancing around the body to see if the comm crystal had fallen nearby and failed to notice
Younger stiffen slightly--

"Let's get one thing straight, Sergeant. Now that I'm in command you will address me as 'sir,' " Younger
barked.

Giorgini struggled to control himself. An hour ago, Younger had been calling him "buddy," and now this
old military crap again. Inwardly Giorgini knew the bastard was better than him in a one-on-one fight, at
least with crystals. From the corner of his eye he saw that Younger had found a powerful looking
offensive crystal, but his left wrist was still empty of a defensive shield. The tension coiled through him,
but he forced it down. So that's the game, Giorgini thought, feeling stupid for not having guessed this
would be how Younger acted once he had weapons again.

Apparently feeling that he had reestablished proper discipline, Lieutenant Younger continued:

"All right, Sergeant, the body I found had its defensive crystal destroyed, so give me the one you found
until we locate another body. Then we can get the hell out of here."

Giorgini was so angry that he actually stammered as the first words came out of his mouth and had to
stop and try again. His words were low but venomous, and there was no mistaking their meaning.