"Philip E. High - These Savage Futurians" - читать интересную книгу автора (High Phillip E)

waist. "Let's get out of here. I'll wash in the stream up ahead—come on."
He went unsteadily but determinedly forward, tattered, dusty, the
blood-soaked trousers fluttering in threads about his legs.

After a few hundred paces they came to a continuation of the chalky
stream. It was only a few inches deep but the man removed his clothes, lay
full length and let the water run over him.

"Name is Berman," he remarked from the water. "Joe Berman."

Ventnor felt called upon to reply and gave his own name.

The other sat upright, eyes narrowed. "You're from one of the villages,
should have seen it, no one dresses like that here—what you doing in
Hubel's Kingdom?"

"They drove me out." Ventnor went into details.

The other stood upright. "I'm still listening." He pointed. "See my belt?
Little bag tied on it, inside you'll find a little pot full of green stuff. Chuck
it over."

Ventnor found the object near the weapon-holder and tossed it over.

Berman caught it deftly, unscrewed the top and began to smear his
wounds with the greenish substance it contained.

"Aseptic this is, see? Gouge-cats is poison, you got to clean it out." He
winced and grinned twistedly. "Burns but cleans, see?" He screwed the top
on the jar, fetched his tattered clothing from the side of the stream and
dropped it into the water. "Blood, got to get rid of the stink of it
Everything that crawls will be after us otherwise."

He trod on the soaked garments, wrung them out carefully then spread
them on the bank of the stream. "Soon dry in the sun." He paused,
frowning. "You understand I should kill you? Hubel doesn't like strangers,
Hubel doesn't. Not to worry, you saved my life. You good brave boy and I'll
put in a word. I'm a lieuty, reccy lieuty, first class. Hubel listens to his
officers, you'll be all right, I'll see to that. In any case, Hubel likes brave
boys, maybe make you a soldier, eh?"

He became suddenly conscious of Ventnor's blank uncomprehending
face and grinned. "You ain't got a clue what I'm jawing about, can see
that. Don't teach much in the villages I'm told. Never mind, let's get
moving 'fore them cats get their nerve back." He sighed and looked at his
wounds. "Should have known better than to take a short cut but its usually
fairly safe in the day."
 He felt his clothing. "Dry enough. Once we get clear of the city the cats
won't bother. Cats don't like the open, cats don't."