"Robert Rankin - The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rankin Robert)

Jack, although pleased to be no longer walking, did not altogether share the horse's joy. Precariously
perched, and lacking for equestrian skills, he clung to the horse's reins and counselled the beast to slow
down a bit.

Which it didn't.

The path meandered, as paths often do, around grassy knolls and down through dingly dells. All was
rural charm and niceness, allof which was lost upon Jack. He was rather peeved, was Jack. Peeved and
altogether unsettled. He was peeved about falling into the farmer's hole. That had been a foolish thing to
do. He should have listened more carefully to the farmer's warnings. To the phrasing of them. Jack's
failure to interpret the farmer's words correctly had come close to costing him his life. That was very
peeving indeed.

Regarding the altogether unsettledness, this was a twofold business. All that blood which had flowed
from the farmer's maimed head: that was unsettling enough, but the fact that Jack had not actually meant
to shoot the farmer's ear off in the first place was doubly unsettling. This had called into question the
accuracy of Jack's clockwork pistol. He had meant to shoot the farmer in the knee. There would have to
be a lot of work done upon that pistol if it was to prove any use at all as an accurate means of defence.

Anthrax kicked his back legs in the air, all but unseating Jack.

'Calm yourself,' cried the lad. 'No need to go mad, take it easy, please.'

The horse did a skip or two and settled into a trot.

'Slow down, please.'

The horse did not slow down.

The meandering path met up with a rugged track and Jack caught a glimpse of a signpost. It readto the
city in fine big capitals.

'Jolly good show,' said Jack. 'Please slow down a bit,please.'

The horse began to canter.

'No!' Jack flung himself forward and clasped his arms about Anthrax's neck.

'Slow down!' he shouted into the horse's left ear. 'Slow down or I'll sell you for cat meat when we reach
the city.'

The horse began to gallop.

'No!' shouted Jack, now altogether ruffled. 'Slow down! Slow down! No!'
If there is a faster thing than galloping that horses can do, this horse began to do it now.

Jack closed his eyes tightly and steeled himself for the inevitable concussion and imminent doom that
awaited him.