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(c) Roger Zelazny
(c) Translation by Vladimir Muxeehko
Deep in its lair, entwined in a long, golden-green
body around a small flock of sheep, Darth slept restlessly,
disturbing dream. Dragons only dream prophetic dreams. Therefore,
when emy saw an endless line of armed, co-
completely identical riders, he shuddered and woke up.
Coughing slightly, Dart illuminated the cave and checked the condition
of his treasures, then stretched, yawned and wandered down the aisle,
intending to first assess the enemy's strength. If they don't
superior, then he will simply run away. To hell with him, cos-
home, not for the first time, after all.
Looking out of the cave, he saw a knight in ill-fitting
Latakh, who just appeared around the bend,sitting on
a gray, tired nag. The knight, apparently, did not even know how to
deal with the spear - he did not bow it, and the tip of the spear was
sadly looked straight into the sky.
Having made sure that the man came alone, Dart growled wildly
jumped out onto the road.
- Stop! - he roared - Your end is near!
The knight bowed politely.
“I’m just looking for you,” he said, “I’m not...
- Why do you want to start all over again? - Dart asked. -
Do you know how much time has passed since the knight and
The last time the dragon met in battle?
- Yes, I know, it was a long time ago. But I...
- Almost always it ended very sadly for one of the
sides And, as a rule, for the one you represent.
- As if I don’t know this! But listen, you didn't understand me
. - I had a dragon dream about a young man named George, c.
which I must fight. You look a lot like him.
- I'll explain everything now. Don't dramatize the situation
tion. You see...
- Your name is George?
- Yes. But don't worry...- Don't worry! Nice job! Do you want to take away y me-
nya moe small, pathetic herd. But why?! You haven't even been here for a month
you could drink with the money you get from selling it.
So it's not worth the risk.
- Yes, I don’t care about your sheep!!! I don't need them!
“And I haven’t kidnapped virgins for over a century.” They usually
old and tough, not to mention the amount of work they cost
find.
- No one is blaming you...
- As for the cows, I always try to take them
further from here. I, one might say, sacrificed my habits
kami, so as not to create a bad reputation for themselves on their own
no territory.
“I know you’re not harming anyone here.” I pos-
I tried to collect complete information about you.
- And you think that this armor will help you when I
Will I breathe on you the strongest, hottest flame?
- Oh my God, no! Don't do this, okay? If...
- And your spear?... You can’t even hold it properly
you can.
George bowed his spear.“You're right,” he said. - But it just so happened that he
the tip is smeared with the most powerful of all poisons known to Ger-
Manu-Apothecary.
- O-la-la! This is no longer sporting!
- I know. But I swear, if you burn me, I will catch you
wound before I die.
“Perhaps it doesn’t make sense for us to die like this.”
both, right? - Dart noted, moving to a safe place
distance. - It won't do anyone any good.
- I completely agree with you.
- So why then do we have to fight?
- I have not the slightest desire to fight with you!
- I don't seem to understand anything. you said that you
name is Georgy, and in my dream...
- Now I will explain everything to you.
- What about your poisoned spear?
- Well, just in case. Insurance so you don't get attacked
at me before you listen to my proposal.
Dart narrowed his eyes slightly.
- What proposal?
- I want to hire you.- Hire me? For what? How much will you pay?
- If you allow me, I will put the spear aside for a moment. But what-
without any tricks.
- Fine. Gold is the best guarantee of security.
George put down his spear and pulled out a wallet from his belt.
Reaching in, he pulled out a handful of shiny coins.
He tossed them in the palm of his hand and they rang and sparkled in the light
dawn
- I listen to you carefully. And cymma y you are not there ma-
lazy?
- I've been collecting all my life. All this will be yours if you give
to move up from sixth place in the list of her fans
to the first. What do you think about this?
Dart sighed, releasing a long puff of smoke.
- Man, your kind does not enjoy my sympathy - oco-
especially the subspecies in armor and with a spear - so, actually, not
I know why I'm telling you this. However, to be honest,
I know, but it doesn't matter. I could do this for you. But for-
Have you thought about what will happen next, when you are already half-
Are you cleaning this girl's hand? The impression it will make on
your feat will smooth out after a while, andrepeat
there won't be any. In a year, it seems to me, you will see
you see her walking in the company of one of those well-spoken
married types that she likes so much. And then you will
forced to either challenge him to a duel and die, or
wear the horns humbly.
Georgy laughed.
- Well, what will she do in her free time?
is the least of my worries. Yes, I and I have a girlfriend in
city.
Dart's eyes widened.
- I'm afraid that I don't understand you again...
- She is the only heiress of the old baron, who
won't last long. Why do you think such a hekpa-
the gray-haired girl has six gentlemen? And why am I ready to give
do you want all your savings to get her hand in return?
“I see,” Dart drawled. - Yes, I can understand greed.
- I would call it a desire to ensure independence and
security.
- Right. In this case, I take back my naive advice.
Okay, give me the gold here, and I'll do what you want.
Dart extended his shiny wing forward.- The first valley in these mountains in the west is located
definitely far from my house. She is quite suitable as
places for our fight.
- I’ll pay you half now, the rest when I get it
girl.
- Agree. Just don't forget to pay the money on time
battle. I'll come back for them when you leave. And don't you dare cheat
me, otherwise I will repeat the performance, only the ending will be narrower
to others.
- I understand that. And now npopenetupym our roles to
everything looked natural. I'll attack you with a bow
spear and will aim at the side that cannot be seen
girl. You raise your wing, catch the spear with it and begin
scream as loud as possible. Yes, and also spit fire at the same time.
- And before the rehearsal I would like to make sure that the tip
your koya is properly cleaned.
- Of course. I will release the spear when you hold it
I’ll reap, I’ll get off my horse and rush at you with a sword. I'll hit you
several times flat, so that it is not noticeable from a hundred
rona. Then you will howl again and fly away.
- Yes, by the way, is your sword sharp?- Dumb as a frying pan. This is my grandfather's sword. Its no one
I have been doing this since I was still a boy.
- So you drop your fee during the fight?
- You can be sure about this. Well, how are you doing?
do you like it?
- The plan is not bad. And under the wing I will put red berries and
I will crush them at the right moment.
- Great idea! So do it. Now a little penetu-
tion and let's get down to business.
- Just don't hurt too much...
* * *
At noon, Rosalinda, daughter of Baron Mayricius, was kidnapped
a golden-green dragon that rushed in, breaking through the
well, into her room and took the girl towards the western mountains.
The grief-stricken father stood on the balcony and prostrated in despair
hands following the kidnapped daughter.
At that moment, his daughter's sixth suitor was passing by.
/of course it was pure coincidence/.
- Don't worry! - he shouted to the unfortunate old man. - I'm oc-
I love her!
And he spurred his horse. Arriving in the valley, he immediatelyI saw Rose-
Linda, who stood under the rock and looked at
the dragon guarding her. George took the spear at the ready.
- Free the girl! Otherwise your hour of death will strike! -
he shouted.
Dart growled. The knight and the dragon rushed at each other.
George dropped his spear, and the dragon fell to the ground, without stopping
However, it does spit fire. Something red flowed from under
the wings of a hissing reptile.
With wide open eyes, Rosalinda looked at George,
who confidently approached the dragon. Snatching the sword, o
hhahec a few blows to that.
- Get it! - exclaimed the knight. The monster screamed, c
It rose with difficulty and flew into the air. Having made a circle over them
The dragon disappeared behind a rock. ,
- Oh, Georgy! - Rosalinda exclaimed. - Oh, Georgy...
And she threw herself on emy's neck. He hugged her tenderly.
“Now I’ll take you home,” he told her later.
* * *
In the evening, when Dart was counting his gold, at the entrance to
The sound of hooves was heard throughout the cave. The dragon crawled down the aisle hapy-
zhu.In beautiful sparkling armor, on a magnificent, white
Georgiy rode as a rabbi, leading a second, gray horse. You-
the expression on his face, however, could not be called content.
“Good evening,” he said.
- Good evening. What brought you to me so quickly?
“Things didn’t turn out quite the way I expected.”
- You look gorgeous. Got rich, huh?
- A! The funds were paid off and I even earned something. But
that's all. I'm leaving town. I decided to take a look at you
a minute and tell me how it all ended. Of course, that's all for us
it would be possible...
- But?...
- But just this morning she got married in the castle chapel -
cobhe with one of these muscular bastards. They are just ready
were getting ready for their honeymoon when you interrupted them.
- I'm really sorry.
- What can you do, fate. Moreover, as luck would have it, her father’s praise
tila kondrashka after your exit. Now my ex-con
peht is the new baron. So, he gave me a horse and weapons as a reward,
money and ordered the local clerk to issue me a certificate
dragon slayer. And then he very clearly hinted that suchI can go far with fame and an excellent horse. Amy, do you see?
I didn’t like the way Rosalinda looked at me. On
hero.
- Really, terrible. Well, we did everything we could
and - Yes. So I just stopped by to see you on the way.
give and tell how it all ended. The idea was good and
If only we weren't late...
“You couldn’t have foreseen such a hasty marriage.” And I know
Eat, I spent the whole day remembering our fight. Everything turned out very well.
- Oh, yes, without a doubt - great.
- That's what I thought... Would you like to get it back?
your money?
- What do you mean?
- Hmm... When I warned you that you might be
unhappy in my marriage, I tried to assess the situation with the person
ical point of view. But then I understood you. To tell you the truth -
Well, you think, well, just like a dragon.
- In camom business?
- Yes, and this is amazing. So, taking into account,
that your plan failed only because of bad luck
circumstances, he still has seriousdignity.
- I don’t quite catch your point.
- There is one pretty lady of my kind, whose favor -
I have been trying to win it for a long time and unsuccessfully. Frankly
speaking, my situation is unusually similar to yours.
- She has a large herd, doesn't she?
- Big is not the right word.
- Is she old?
- Dragons have several centuries in one direction or another, especially
they don't matter. But she also has macca fans and she
also prefers impudent people.
- Hm. I'm starting to understand. You once gave me some advice.
Let me answer in the same way. Have you ever thought about
because there are things much more important than herds?
- For example?
- At least my life. After all, your friend cama can dis-
get along with me before you come to her aid.
- No, the old lady does not have a warlike character at all. And the blood
Besides, everything depends on good organization. I will sit
on the nearest hill - I'll show it to you - and give a sign when
will need to start. This time, naturally, the winner must
wife I. We'll do this...* * *
Georgy sat on a white horse and glanced at the entrance to
a distant cave, then to the top of the hill on the left
from him. Soon a winged silhouette flashed over the top. Dra-
the horse sank down onto the hill and a minute later picked up one shiny
wing
George lowered his visor, bowed his spear and galloped forward.
Approaching the cave, he shouted:
- I know you're here, Magtag! I came to kill you
bye and take your herd! Come out, godless creature, devouring-
children's vest! Your last hour has struck!
A huge shiny head appeared from the cave with a cold
with my green eyes. A tongue of fire twenty yards long
fell out of the giant mouth and scorched the rocks. Georgiy immediately
stopped. The monster was twice as large as he said
Dart didn't look aged at all. Its metal scales
I called personally. The dragon slowly walked towards Ge-
orgy.
“I may have, uh... got a little carried away,” he began
George, already hearing the rustling of giant wings above him.
When the monster was already very close, Georgy suddenlyby-
felt that someone was grabbing him by the shoulders. Next mo-
mehtoh ascended upward with such speed that all objects
below in the blink of an eye they shrank to the size of children's toys -
NIS. From above he saw his glorious horse galloping
back along the road that led them here.
- O devil! What's happened? - he shouted.
“I haven’t been here for a while,” Dart replied. -
I didn't know that one of them had moved in with her. Your happiness
that I have a quick reaction. It was Pelladon. -Darth sigh-
zero. - His character is disgusting.
- Good job! Don't you think that you should first
was to carry out reconnaissance?
- I'm sorry. I figured that if she wasn't pushed,
then she will think about it for another fifty years. Oh, what a y she has
herd! It's a shame you never saw him.
- Fly after my horse. I don't really want to lose him.
* * *
They drank while sitting at the entrance to the cave.
- Where did you get a whole keg of such excellent beer?
- Stole from a barge on the river. From time to time I did this
Vayu and have already assembled a good cellar.- Well, at least we haven't lost anything. Let's have a drink
for this.
- Agree. that's just what I'm thinking now... You know, you
good actor.
- Thank you. You played your role well too.
- Let's assume - just let's assume for now - that you will be ctpahc-
travel around the world. Each time it gets further and further from here. You
you will choose villages on the continent and on the islands. When-
than those where wealthy people live and there is a
cytctbue their own, local heroes.
- Yes, yes...
- You show them your dragon slayer ID and
describe your exploits. Then you come back with a list
places And cards.
- Continue.
- Along the way, you choose suitable places for small, safe
bid theft and good places for a fight...
- Would you like another drink?
- Do me a favor.
- Hold it.
- You appear at the right moment and formoderate fee...
- Sixty percent for me, forty percent for you.
- That's exactly what I assumed. Just the opposite.
- Fifty-five and forty-five?
- It's coming. Let's have a drink!
- Your health! We shouldn't haggle.
- Now I understand why I dreamed that I was fighting -
I am with countless knights and each of them had
your face. Georgy, But you, on top of everything else, just-
you're falling in love.
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