Read Online The Jaguar Knights by Dave Duncan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dave Duncan
Ads: Link
southpaw he would have slashed the freak’s head off, helmet andall, slick as cutting berries. As it was, he almost severed the man’s arm. The giant yowled in rage, struck the farmer’s matching stroke aside with his left hand, and kicked the man like a mule, sending him sprawling. Then Lynx was there, thrusting Ratter into his heart.
That’s what he meant to do. He underestimated his opponent. Despite his size, that tree-high monstrosity was so incredibly nimble that he dodged Lynx’s thrust at zero range. Ratter sliced along his chest and tangled briefly in his cloak. His left hand smashed down on Lynx’s arm.
Lynx registered the clang of his sword hitting the flags and stooped to snatch her up. His fingers refused to obey him. He stared in bewilderment at his forearm, which had been macerated into raspberry puree and slivers of bone. The lower half hung at right angles, as if he had grown a new wrist. One blow had done that?
So Fell and the raider and he were all one-handed. Fell was now behind the giant, though, and this time he slashed at kidney level, cutting through the cloak. Blood burst out. The giant should have dropped to the floor and died, but he didn’t. He rounded on Fell with a massive, deadly blow to the face. He was wearing gloves armed with knives, and one blow did to Fell’s face what he had done to Lynx’s arm.
The farmer closed again, with even less success. He was game, but he was nothing compared to the Blade-killing monster. The thing parried the man’s sword aside like a straw and kicked again, but this time up, under the older man’s shield. Its boots were toothed, too. The farmer screamed. The thing finished him off with another punch.
By then Lynx had retrieved Ratter. He was not quite as inept with his offside hand as Fell was, and this time he made certain of the freak with a cut on its good shoulder, severing the tendons it needed to raise that arm. One-arm was now no-arms.
“That fixed you, swine!” he roared.
No. It was spilling blood in rivers, but it leaped on Lynx, crunching his shoulder in its jaws. He heard bones crack as they hit the floor together, with the invader on top. Lynx tried to grab the thing’s throat to choke it, but he had only one useful hand. The monster had no usable hands anymore, but it had knives on its feet, and it proceeded to rip Lynx apart with those.
8
H ogwood said, “Do you, Lynx, warrant that what you dictated to Candidate Tancred is the truth as you know it?”
“Wait!” Wolf barked. “He’s not himself.” Naked savages in midwinter, superhuman warriors, unknown conjurations, insurrection for unknown purposes?
Lynx tried to laugh and grimaced in agony. “I know it sounds mad, Wolfie, but the others will back me up.”
“It agrees with Grand Master’s report,” the inquisitor snapped.
Small wonder the Council was confused and the King so worried! When the Thencaster Rebellion exploded, Athelgar had followed age-old tradition and fled to the safety of Grandon Bastion. The Bastion would be no haven if conjury could now take even a major fortress like Quondam so easily.
Wolf parried and riposted. “Pray note, Inquisitor, that the bite marks on my brother’s shoulder were made by jaws larger than those of any hound I ever saw. The King speculated that he might have been injured while fighting for the wrong team, so for the record, Lynx, did you fight to prevent the abduction of the Baroness?”
“I did.”
Had there been a fleabite of hesitation there?
“You were wounded by the invaders?”
“I was.”
“While fighting alongside the Baron’s men, the defenders?”
“Yes.”
If dear King Athelgar had been hoping Wolf would have to arrest his own brother and charge him with murder, he would be disappointed. Relieved, he turned to Hogwood. “Is the witness telling the truth?”
She regarded Lynx glassily. “He has not lied yet. Pray do not interrupt while I am questioning the witness, Sir Wolf. Sir Lynx, you
That’s what he meant to do. He underestimated his opponent. Despite his size, that tree-high monstrosity was so incredibly nimble that he dodged Lynx’s thrust at zero range. Ratter sliced along his chest and tangled briefly in his cloak. His left hand smashed down on Lynx’s arm.
Lynx registered the clang of his sword hitting the flags and stooped to snatch her up. His fingers refused to obey him. He stared in bewilderment at his forearm, which had been macerated into raspberry puree and slivers of bone. The lower half hung at right angles, as if he had grown a new wrist. One blow had done that?
So Fell and the raider and he were all one-handed. Fell was now behind the giant, though, and this time he slashed at kidney level, cutting through the cloak. Blood burst out. The giant should have dropped to the floor and died, but he didn’t. He rounded on Fell with a massive, deadly blow to the face. He was wearing gloves armed with knives, and one blow did to Fell’s face what he had done to Lynx’s arm.
The farmer closed again, with even less success. He was game, but he was nothing compared to the Blade-killing monster. The thing parried the man’s sword aside like a straw and kicked again, but this time up, under the older man’s shield. Its boots were toothed, too. The farmer screamed. The thing finished him off with another punch.
By then Lynx had retrieved Ratter. He was not quite as inept with his offside hand as Fell was, and this time he made certain of the freak with a cut on its good shoulder, severing the tendons it needed to raise that arm. One-arm was now no-arms.
“That fixed you, swine!” he roared.
No. It was spilling blood in rivers, but it leaped on Lynx, crunching his shoulder in its jaws. He heard bones crack as they hit the floor together, with the invader on top. Lynx tried to grab the thing’s throat to choke it, but he had only one useful hand. The monster had no usable hands anymore, but it had knives on its feet, and it proceeded to rip Lynx apart with those.
8
H ogwood said, “Do you, Lynx, warrant that what you dictated to Candidate Tancred is the truth as you know it?”
“Wait!” Wolf barked. “He’s not himself.” Naked savages in midwinter, superhuman warriors, unknown conjurations, insurrection for unknown purposes?
Lynx tried to laugh and grimaced in agony. “I know it sounds mad, Wolfie, but the others will back me up.”
“It agrees with Grand Master’s report,” the inquisitor snapped.
Small wonder the Council was confused and the King so worried! When the Thencaster Rebellion exploded, Athelgar had followed age-old tradition and fled to the safety of Grandon Bastion. The Bastion would be no haven if conjury could now take even a major fortress like Quondam so easily.
Wolf parried and riposted. “Pray note, Inquisitor, that the bite marks on my brother’s shoulder were made by jaws larger than those of any hound I ever saw. The King speculated that he might have been injured while fighting for the wrong team, so for the record, Lynx, did you fight to prevent the abduction of the Baroness?”
“I did.”
Had there been a fleabite of hesitation there?
“You were wounded by the invaders?”
“I was.”
“While fighting alongside the Baron’s men, the defenders?”
“Yes.”
If dear King Athelgar had been hoping Wolf would have to arrest his own brother and charge him with murder, he would be disappointed. Relieved, he turned to Hogwood. “Is the witness telling the truth?”
She regarded Lynx glassily. “He has not lied yet. Pray do not interrupt while I am questioning the witness, Sir Wolf. Sir Lynx, you
Similar Books
