"Jacquelyn Hooper - Home On The Range" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hooper Jacquelyn)

the same dark hair. He thought of Rae's smile as the woman halted her dance, her
arms stretched to the sky, her body poised to leap across the clearing.

Her sudden stop startled Chris from his dreams. The woman turned her head, her
ears pricked like a fox's. Her gold eyes found him in the clearing.

Her actions reminded Chris of a deer's. For all intents and purposes, she was
one. What he thought was skin was fur. Her half raised leg tapered down to a
hoof.

Chris wanted to turn from her wondering, almost inviting expression. He felt his
heart slow.

A sigh behind him made him jump. Not until the woman turned her head did he
realize Paladin had fired the net rocket.

"The stakes," Paladin said, rushing through the brush. The net had dropped on
the woman, knocking her to the ground. Chris opened the tool box a few
centimeters away. The iron stakes sat in their own tray, slick and rusty from
the rain. He took them and a mallet, and ran into the clearing.

Paladin was sitting on the native. She appeared stunned, until she saw Chris.
She tried to tear at the mesh netting with her hands. She hit and shoved at
Paladin. Paladin punched her in the face.

"Switch," Paladin said, when Chris stopped next to him. "Now!"

He jumped, and Chris took his place. The woman straggled anew, and Chris held
her arms down.

Paladin stepped on one of her outstretched wrists, and knelt down. He took one
of the stakes, and with one swing hammered it through her hand, into the mud.

"Nye!" she screamed. Chris grabbed her other arm, and felt her kick and buck
beneath him as Paladin circled around them. Chris worked by feel, by practice in
pressing her down, keeping her still. He could not look at her face, not with
the human ones. He wished he could shut out their noises as well.

"Josen, dis maen," she said, her voice a harsh whisper. "Etnis dole capo ...
nye!"

"Last one," Paladin said. "Move."

"Help me."

Chris opened his eyes. Tears and rain streaked her face.
"Christopher, please."

"Move! Move!" Paladin shoved him aside. Chris lay on his side, stunned. Natives
didn't speak anything anyone could understand. It was always gibberish, the