"Alan Dean Foster - Flinx 16 - Snakes Eyes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Foster Alan Dean)

Despite his seeming resignation, Yakus didn't want to die. He wanted very much to live.

Rowing air, the minidrag stalled and regarded both man and dryzam with unwinking eyes. Fluttering
exquisite wings, it came closer, paused, darted away.

"Playin' with me." Somewhere Yakus found the strength to be disgusted. "Snake-an'-mouse, is it, you
scaly little bastard? Disappear, vanish, you don't belong here."

Minutes went by. The minidrag did not disappear. Instead, it moved neither at him or away, but
continued to hover. This wasn't right. If the creature was taunting him it was going about it in a most
peculiar fashion. Likely it had wandered here from some inhabited region. It had to be lost. Didn't it want
to drink Yakus's blood?

The minidrag moved much nearer, and Yakus saw something falling from wings and body, saw it
glistening beneath wing pleats. He gagged a little.

The minidrag was dripping wet.

Thoughtlessly Yakus threw himself at the poisonous flier. It slipped easily back out of his reach,
continuing to stare at him. Yakus fell to the ground, scrabbling at the sandy soil and gravel where droplets
had struck. One pebble he touched was still noticeably damp. So— he was no madder than usual.

For a terrifying moment his legs refused to obey and he feared he wouldn't be able to get up. Hope
made a powerful crutch, however, and he fought to rise to his feet.

"Where?" he pleaded dumbly, staring at the snake. It stared back at him. "Still wet." He was mumbling
again, a little wildly now, as he threw undisciplined glances in every direction. "In this heat, that means
that water has to be close by. But which way... oh God, which way?" His attention focused again on the
hovering snake.


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 Foster, Alan Dean - Commonwealth 16 - Flinx - Snakes Eyes (SS) (v1.0)

"You're not lost. You're with someone, aren't you?"

He glared dreamily at the minidrag. "That's it, there's an encampment nearby. Where? Where!"

As mute as its less-sensitive ancestors, the flying snake continued to regard him silently.

Yakus started to laugh. Here he stood, in a region no sane being would venture into on foot, conversing
with a snake. Why stop with asking for water? He giggled. Why not request linzer-torte and lemonade
while he was asking?

Unexpectedly the minidrag made a sudden turn, flew ten meters westward, and turned to regard Yakus
expectantly. A little frightened, the old prospector ceased giggling. The minidrag flew back at him, hissed,
then whirled and flew to hover once again ten meters off.

The situation was crazy, of course, Yakus assured himself. But then, so was the very presence of the
minidrag. If the snake was a mirage, it was acting as sensibly as he'd been. Perhaps he ought to try