"Well, I'll have to Codec the Major and hope my nano isn't fucked. Otherwise one of you other pricks will have to deal with him. Seeing as Vladya here decided to take us all on a reptile hike, instead of a trip to Khostov."
He paused.
"Although they probably amount to about the same thing."
His hand still rested on the gavial's stone dead skull.
Isaev shook his head slowly, looking down.
"I still think it's a shame."
It couldn't be helped, of course. She'd have finished the scientist, and had Borishnakov as a chaser. And the fact that this animal had taken a bite out of Sergei was an issue that he couldn't deny the others. However, privately he felt that there was no way of holding instinct against a beast like this one.
Killing men had never bothered him much. Men had uncharitable intentions in war. But animals were another matter.
It always hit him hard, for reasons he couldn't pinpoint. Made him think of leopard fur coats at government parties and gorilla hand ashtrays.
Made him nauseous, until he shook it off once more.
"She was just doing what crocodiles do," he muttered, stroking the jagged maw. "I mean, look at that idiot flailing around in his white coat. He was practically trolling for crocs."
He stood up and glanced at the pale, anguished scientist.
"Next time you try to escape, mudak, a word of advice. Take off the fucking coat. It's like a homing beacon. In case you haven't noticed, we're not in the fucking Northern tundra here."
The man's leg, aside from being mangled, had punctures and gashes from being shaken.
Andrei shook his head.
"You'll be carrying around that little reminder for the rest of your life: I shouldn't be so stupid. Or I should have studied herpetology instead of weapons design."
He glanced again at the bloodied mass and shrugged.
"If they can save it."
He blamed the man for getting the majestic gavial killed, as well as for his own misfortune. If he'd just fucking stayed put...did he seriously think he had a chance out here?
Andrei's scarf was coming loose, and he halfheartedly tried to toss the end back over his shoulder, but his mind was elsewhere.
Igor Davidovich was twisting Sergei's trouser swatch in his gloved hands, grinning.
"Hoi, Andrusha," he said, "We should frame this for Gurkukovichka."
Andrei nodded, absently, as the others snickered.
He glanced at Kassian Irinarhov. Impressive, as always, the things he would produce from that quiet, stern mouth. A mouth that was neither as stern nor as quiet as it seemed, Andrei thought, affectionately.
"You're a good man to know, comrade Kasya," he said, formally. "A lot of knowledge in there."
He pointed a finger to the sniper's brow and smiled faintly.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2006-11-27 10:25 pm (UTC)"Well, I'll have to Codec the Major and hope my nano isn't fucked. Otherwise one of you other pricks will have to deal with him. Seeing as Vladya here decided to take us all on a reptile hike, instead of a trip to Khostov."
He paused.
"Although they probably amount to about the same thing."
His hand still rested on the gavial's stone dead skull.
Isaev shook his head slowly, looking down.
"I still think it's a shame."
It couldn't be helped, of course. She'd have finished the scientist, and had Borishnakov as a chaser. And the fact that this animal had taken a bite out of Sergei was an issue that he couldn't deny the others. However, privately he felt that there was no way of holding instinct against a beast like this one.
Killing men had never bothered him much. Men had uncharitable intentions in war. But animals were another matter.
It always hit him hard, for reasons he couldn't pinpoint. Made him think of leopard fur coats at government parties and gorilla hand ashtrays.
Made him nauseous, until he shook it off once more.
"She was just doing what crocodiles do," he muttered, stroking the jagged maw. "I mean, look at that idiot flailing around in his white coat. He was practically trolling for crocs."
He stood up and glanced at the pale, anguished scientist.
"Next time you try to escape, mudak, a word of advice. Take off the fucking coat. It's like a homing beacon. In case you haven't noticed, we're not in the fucking Northern tundra here."
The man's leg, aside from being mangled, had punctures and gashes from being shaken.
Andrei shook his head.
"You'll be carrying around that little reminder for the rest of your life: I shouldn't be so stupid. Or I should have studied herpetology instead of weapons design."
He glanced again at the bloodied mass and shrugged.
"If they can save it."
He blamed the man for getting the majestic gavial killed, as well as for his own misfortune. If he'd just fucking stayed put...did he seriously think he had a chance out here?
Andrei's scarf was coming loose, and he halfheartedly tried to toss the end back over his shoulder, but his mind was elsewhere.
Igor Davidovich was twisting Sergei's trouser swatch in his gloved hands, grinning.
"Hoi, Andrusha," he said, "We should frame this for Gurkukovichka."
Andrei nodded, absently, as the others snickered.
He glanced at Kassian Irinarhov. Impressive, as always, the things he would produce from that quiet, stern mouth. A mouth that was neither as stern nor as quiet as it seemed, Andrei thought, affectionately.
"You're a good man to know, comrade Kasya," he said, formally. "A lot of knowledge in there."
He pointed a finger to the sniper's brow and smiled faintly.