"Robert E. Howard - Conan - Shadows in the Moonlight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Howard Robert E)

With a few strokes he brought the boat in to shore and made the painter fast to the arching
root of a tree which rose from the water's edge. Stepping ashore, he reached out a hand to help
Olivia. She took it, wincing slightly at the bloodstains upon it, feeling a hint of the dynamic
strength that lurked in the barbarian's thews.
A dreamy quiet lay over the woods that bordered the blue bay. Then somewhere, far back among
the trees, a bird lifted its morning song. A breeze whispered through the leaves, and set them to
murmuring. Olivia found herself listening intendy for something, she knew not what. What might be
lurking amid diose nameless woodlands?
As she peered timidly into the shadows between the trees, somediing swept into the sunlight
with a swift whirl of wings: a great parrot which dropped on to a leafy branch and swayed there, a
gleaming image of jade and crimson. It turned its crested head sidewise and regarded the invaders
with glittering eyes of jet.
"Crom!" muttered the Cimmerian. "Here is the grandfather of all parrots. He must be a
thousand years old! Look at the evil wisdom of his eyes. What mysteries do you guard, Wise Devil?"
Abrupdy the bird spread its flaming wings and, soaring from its perch, cried out harshly:
"Yagkoolan yok tha, xuthalla.r and with a wild screech of horribly human laughter, rushed away
through the trees to vanish in the opalescent shadows.
Olivia stared after it, feeling the cold hand of nameless foreboding touch her supple spine.
"What did it say?" she whispered.
"Human words, I'll swear," answered Conan; "but in what tongue I can't say."
"Nor I," returned the girl. "Yet it must have learned them from human lips. Human, or--" she
gazed into the leafy fastness and shuddered slighdy, without knowing why.
"Crom, I'm hungry!" grunted the Cimmerian. "I could eat a whole buffalo. We'll look for
fruit; but first I'm going to cleanse myself of diis dried mud and blood. Hiding in marshes is
foul business."
So saying, he laid aside his sword, and wading out shoulder-deep into the blue water, went
about his ablutions. When he emerged, his clean-cut bronze limbs shone, his streaming black mane
was no longer matted. His blue eyes, though they smoldered with unquenchable fire, were no longer
murky or blood-shot. But the tigerish suppleness of limb and the dangerous aspect of feature were
not altered.
Strapping on his sword once more, he motioned the girl to follow him, and they left the
shore, passing under the leafy arches of the great branches. Underfoot lay a short green sward
which cushioned their tread. Between the trunks of the trees they caught glimpses of faery-like
vistas.
Presently Conan grunted in pleasure at the sight of golden and russet globes hanging in
clusters among the leaves. Indicating that the girl should seat herself on a fallen tree, he
filled her lap with the exotic delicacies, and then himself fell to with unconcealed gusto.
"Ishtar!" said he, between mouthfuls. "Since Ilbars I have lived on rats, and roots I dug out
of the stinking mud. This is sweet to the palate, though not very filling. Still, it will serve if
we eat enough."
Olivia was too busy to reply. The sharp edge of the Cimmerian's hunger blunted, he began to
gaze at his fair companion with more interest than previously, noting the lustrous clusters of her
dark hair, the peach-bloom tints of her dainty skin, and the rounded contours of her lithe figure
which the scanty silk tunic displayed to full advantage.
Finishing her meal, the object of his scrutiny looked up, and meeting his burning, slit-eyed
gaze, she changed color and the remnants of the fruit slipped from her fingers.
Without comment, he indicated with a gesture that they should continue their explorations,
and rising, she followed him out of the trees and into a glade, the farther end of which was
bounded by a dense thicket. As they stepped into the open there was a ripping crash in this
thicket, and Conan, bounding aside and carrying the girl with him, narrowly saved them from