"Henry Lion Oldie. Fragments of novels in english translation" - читать интересную книгу автора

cheerlessly beating him at the chest and mouth. The pressed man squeaked,
moaned and looked before him with sad eyes.
-- What are they doing? -- asked Bryan Oygla a young plump market-
woman who screamed joyfully at each hit of the three man.
-- Fighting,-- she said excitedly without turning her head form the
event.-- Settling scores. They say the Bold Phan took somebody's money
for his own... Fine fellows, aren't they?
And the beads on her high breast tinkled again beating the time of
her screams.
Sigurd didn't understand her. He has never fought yet in his life.
Only the animals happen to fight when they're young. Salars don't fight.
The Invertings don't fight. They can kill, oh yes, they do kill. And
often they are killed themseleves. But what's good in such fighting? He
couldn't catch the meaning of the word. It was dirty, dull and senseless.
Just like those men at the fence. One of the bearded men drew out a
knife. The knife was blunt, curved and inconvenient. Bryan sighed, made
his way through the crowd and came near the fighters.
-- This knife is bad,-- said Oygla taking the man by his hand.-- And
you're not better. Stop this! It's a shame...
The bearded man seemed to be at the verge of an apoplexy. He
swallowed air with a convulsive movement and all space left at his face
between the thick hair and the tiny eyes became bloodshot. He stared at
Oygla as if he has never seen a live man before. Then he saw Bryan's grey
cloak and breathed noisily and laughed loudly.
-- You're a hero,-- he said when his breath calmed down.-- Our
glorious defender... Devilish sprawn! So you don't like my knife, do you?
Sigurd remembered well the pause after these words, and it often
returned afterwards in his nightmares. And each time it seemed to him
that he's standing naked at the middle of the silent square and awful
inhuman faces crease their noses with disgust and sniff at him. The
bearded man drew his hand out of Oygla's grip and hit him with his knife
at the breast. He was very surprised to see that he missed the hit. He
repeated it once more. And more. Awkward men breathing heavily tried to
kick down a boy -- a surprisingly slippery boy -- and the man he had
tried to protect was the most diligent of the four. But Bryan moved
swiftly and rhytmically as he was taught. The four couldn't reach him.
And his hand searched for the sickle at his belt -- but in vain. When he
realized that he was unarmed he clenched his fists...
-- Excuse him, please,-- said the familiar soft voice at Sigurd's
ear. And everything came to an end. The mentor Pharamarz bowed to the
crowded people, made his excuses once more, took the offended Bryan by
the shoulder and led him away. Sigurd shook off the sticky hot fingers
of the market-woman and followed them. There were whispers in the crowd
and staring eyes, and the younger women were cocking their eyes at each
other and smacking their lips.
When they left the city Oygla broke silence at last.
-- Why did he behave so, Teacher? -- He was struggling with tears of
anger.
-- Why? -- Pharamarz thought for a moment and then went on.-- Why
does the puma hate the kuguar most of all beats? Because they are alike.