V102243 Stone of Tears (пропущенная страница)

В книге Stone of Tears отсутствует страница (пропущенный текс прилагается).

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Richard was surprised, and seemed to be moved by what Savidlin had done. "The Mud People make some of the finest bows I have ever seen. I am honored, Savidlin. That is
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generous of you. I would like very much to have you there with me." He grinned. "We can show those two how to shoot."

The brothers laughed at the last part of the translation. "Tomorrow then," Prindin said as they left.

Richard had a dark look on his face as he watched the two walking away.

"What was that all about with the arrows?" she asked.

He finally looked over at her. "Ask Savidlin if I could have a look at his arrows, and I'll show you."

Savidlin handed over his quiver. Richard pulled out a handful of arrows, sorting through the ones with thin, hardened wooden points. Kahlan knew them to be poisoned. Richard took an arrow with a flat, metal point and put the rest back.

He handed the arrow to her. "Tell me what you see."

She rolled it in her fingers as he had done with the other. She didn't know what that was supposed to tell her, so she looked at the point and the nock.

She shrugged. "It looks just like an ordinary arrow to me. Just like any other."

Richard smiled. "Just like any other?" He plucked an arrow out of the quiver by the nock end, holding the small round point up for her to see. He raised an eyebroe. "Does it look like this one?"

"Well, no. That point is small, long, thin, and round. But this one has a metal point. It's just like the one Prindin had."

Richard slowly shook his head. "No. It's not." He put the wodden pointed arrow back and took the one she had, holding the nock toward her. "See here? Where the string goes? It goes on the string like this, with the notch up and down. Does that tell you anything?" She frowned and shook her head. "Some arrows have spiraled feathers so the arrows rotate. Some people believe that increases their power. I don't know if that is true or not, but it's beside the point. All the Mud People's arrows are fletched with straight feathers. That keeps them steady in flight. They hit in the same attitude as they are fired."

"But I still don't see how this arrow is diffeent from Prindin's."

Richard put his thumbnail in the nock. "This is the way the arrow goes on the string. With the notch up and down like this. When the arrow is in the bow, and when it hits, it is just like this. Now, look at the blade. See how it's up and down, too? Just like the notch. The blade and the string are in the same plane. Savidlin's bladed arrows are all like this.

"The reason for it is that he uses these bladed arrows to hunt large animals, like wild boar, and deer. The rib bones in animals go up and down, just like the blade does. That gives the arrow a better chance of passing between the ribs, rather than being stopped by them."

He leaned a little closer to her. "Prindin's arows are different. The blades are turned ninety degrees. When his arrows are nocked, the blade is horizontal. His arrows aren't made to pass through the ribs of animals. The blades are horizontal because he hunts something different. Something with ribs that are horizontal. People."

Kahlan felt bumps ripple up her arms. "Why would they do that?"

"The Mud People are very protective of their land; they don't often allow outsiders in. I would guess that Chandalen and his men are the ones who guard their borders from encroachment. They are probably the fiercest hunters among the Mud People, and the best shots. Ask Savidlin if they are good with their bows."

She conveyed his question.

Savidlin chuckled. "None of us ever beats Chandalen's men. Even if Richard With The Temper is good, he is going to lose. But they are careful not to humiliate us too badly. They will be gracious winners. Richard should not worry, he will enjoy the day. They will teach him to shoot better. That is why I wish to take my men: Chandalen's men always teach us to be better. Among the Mud People, being the best, winning, means you have a responsibility to those you have beaten. You must teach them to be better. Tell him he cannot back out, now that he has accepted the challenge."

"I always thought it did people good to learn something," Richard said. "I won't back out."

Richard's intense gaze made her smile until her jaws hurt. Smiling himself, he turned, pulled his pack across the plank floor, and took out an apple. He cut the apple in half, removed the seeds, and handed half to her.

The elders fidgeted nervously. In the Midlands, red fruit
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was poison, the result of an evil magic. They didn't know that in Westland, where Richard was from, you could eat red things like apples. They had seen him eat an apple once before, when he had tricked them into not making him take a wife from their village by convincing them that his eating it might make his seed poisonous to his bride, but they sweated as they watched the two of them doing it again.
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