"Norton, Andre - Solar Queen 03- Voodoo Planet" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

but a man, a small, lean man whose lips wrinkled back from his teeth in a snarl. His attendant priests fell
back, leaving the spaceman and the witch doctor alone.

"Lumbrilo's magic is great," Tau said evenly. "I hail Lumbrilo of Khatka." His hand made the open-
palmed salute of peace.

The snarl faded as the man brought his face under control. He stood naked, but he was clothed in inherit
dignity. And there was power with that dignity, power and a pride before which even the more physically
impressive Chief Ranger might have to give place.

"You have magic also, outlander," he replied. "Where walks this long-toothed shadow of yours now?"

"Where once the men of Khatka walked, Lumbrilo. For it was men of your blood who long, long past
hunted this shadow of mine and made its body their prey."

"So that it now might have a blood debt to settle with us, outlander?"

"That you said, not I, man of power. You have shown us one beast, I have shown another. Who can say
which of them is stronger when it issues forth from the shadows?"

Lumbrilo pattered forward, his bare feet making little sound on the stones of the terrace. Now he was only
an arm's-length away from the medic.

"You have challenged me, off-world man." Was that a question or a statement? Dane wondered.

"Why should I challenge you, Lumbrilo? To each race its own magic. I come not to offer battle." His eyes
held steady with the Khatkan's.

"You have challenged me." Lumbrilo turned away and then looked back over his shoulder. "The strength
you depend upon may become a broken staff, off-worlder. Remember my words in the time when shadows
become substance, and substance the thinnest of shadows!"


III

"YOU ARE truly a man of power!"
Tau shook his head in answer to that outburst from Asaki.

"Not so, sir. Your Lumbrilo is a man of power. I drew upon his power and you saw the results."

"Deny it not! What we saw never walked this world."

Tau slung the strap of a trail bag over his shoulder. "Sir, once men of your blood, men who bred your race,
hunted the elephant. They took his tusks for their treasure, feasted upon his flesh--yes, and died beneath
the trampling of his feet when they were unlucky or unwary. So there is that within you which can even
now be awakened to remember eldama in his might when he was king of the herd and need fear nothing
save the spears and cunning of small, weak men. Lumbrilo had already awakened your minds to see what
he willed you to see."

"How does he do this?" asked the other simply. "Is it magic that we see not Lumbrilo but a lion before