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

During the Debate of the Brilliants, especially at the final of a
tournament referees are not needed.
So No-Datchi understood everything that it had to understand. And
having understood it made another stroke for the full length of its blade
reducing the distance to a irreparable point and still keeping at the
height of my Carrier's head. It even seemed to me that this time No-
Datchi might have not managed to stop in time -- although, of course, I
could only imagine such a thing.
But the contents of the imaginary cup rushed to the head of Carrier
Chan faster than the two-hand sword angry with its failure. And Carrier
Chan fell to his knees. The drunken Carriers can hardly stand on their
feet -- that's why he did it. And as to me, I tickled carelessly the
belly of No-Datchi's Carrier and then sank down, tired, at the Carrier
Chan's shoulder.
The stunned No-Datchi led his Carrier back to ponder over the
situation, but Carrier Chan cried hoarsely in protest and followed him
turning a somersault. He wanted to continue the game. And the curved
lightning of No-Datchi struck from sky to ground once more -- and again
on vain.
Carrier Chan pretended to be unable to finish the somersault
properly, and fell clumsily so that No-Datchi plunged to the ground
about a half of its length to the left. By the way I stung the bare heel
of No-Datchi's Carrier -- and stopped suddenly, possessed with a strange
guess.
No-Datchi plunged to the ground. But it couldn't have done it! It
couldn't! For it supposed Carrier Chan to be then at that point... And it
ought to stop over the ground, over the body, and not in it!
Oh, one shouldn't meditate during a Debate. Shouldn't...
-- Excuse me,-- whistled No-Datchi falling down abruptly. It missed
my hilt just by a bit.-- I'm sorry indeed...
And I felt that the fingers holding me are going to die.
No. They're already dying.
Carrier Chan fell to the grass reddened with blood; his right hand
was cut away, and a mute question was beating in his sober eyes.
-- But you... You can't be a Lustreless? -- it was all I could
whisper losing my consciousness and feeling the mortal grip of the dying
fingers.
-- Excuse me...
-- Be quick, No! Don't be sluggish! -- said a strangely familiar
creaking voice beside me, and I managed to notice three quite identical
Brilliants, short and resembling a trident without shaft; the three of
them were placed at the belt of a meagre clumsy Carrier. They called No-
Datchi, they urged it, they didn't give me time to finish my phrase, to
think, to see the cause... Why?
But then they all disappeared: the two-hand No-Datchi, the trident
daggers with similar voices, the sun, dim and not like a...
Because darkness came and engulfed them.


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