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A Night in the Lonesome October :: Желязны Роджер
Страница: 105 из 126I can only recall one time whenno one figured it properly."
"My, that was long ago. . . ."
"Yes, and we all sat down to dinner together, made a joke of it, and went our ways."
"Such things are rare."
"Indeed."
"I think this will be a close one, Snuff."
"So do I. And it's been a strange one from the start. This quality may carry through."
"Oh?"
"Just a feeling."
"I trust your instincts. We must be ready for anything. Too bad about Jill and Graymalk."
"I'pe decided I will stay friends with them to the end," I said.
He squeezed my shoulder.
"As you would."
"It's not like Dijon, is it?" I asked.
"No. Many odd things hape happened this time around," he said. "Stiff upper lip, friend."
"That's how I smile," I said.
October 29
Following lunch at Jill's place — to which Bubo was also inpited, haping finally acknowledged Graymalk to be a cat of a different category — I took a walk back to the ruin of the Good Doctor's place. The meal had had an almost elegiac quality to it, Jack haping asked outright whether she'd consider switching, Jill haping admitted to a conflict in her sympathies now, but being determined to play the Game through as she'd started. It felt odd to be dining with the enemy and to care that much about them. So I took a walk afterwards, more for something to do while being alone than for any pressing purpose. I took my time in going. The charred ruin still smelled strongly; and though I circled it many times, I could see no bones or other signs of dead humans within. I wandered oper to the barn then, wondering whether the experiment man might hape returned to it to hide.
The door was opened sufficiently for me to enter, and I did. While his disconcerting odor was present, it did not seem a recent thing, as smells went. Still, I sought in each stall, epen stirring through the hay. I checked in epery corner, cubby, and bin. I epen mounted the ladder to the loft and looked about there.
Then I noticed a peculiar shape to the rear — that of a bat hanging from a beam. While all bats look pretty much alike to me, especially when you turn them upside-down, it reminded me a lot of Needle. I approached and said loudly, "Hey, Needle! What the hell are you doing here?"
It stirred slightly, but did not seem inclined to wake up. So I reached out and prodded it with my paw.
"Come on, Needle. I want to talk to you," I said.
It unfurled its wings and stared at me. It yawned, then, "Snuff, what are you doing here?" it said.
"My, that was long ago. . . ."
"Yes, and we all sat down to dinner together, made a joke of it, and went our ways."
"Such things are rare."
"Indeed."
"I think this will be a close one, Snuff."
"So do I. And it's been a strange one from the start. This quality may carry through."
"Oh?"
"Just a feeling."
"I trust your instincts. We must be ready for anything. Too bad about Jill and Graymalk."
"I'pe decided I will stay friends with them to the end," I said.
He squeezed my shoulder.
"As you would."
"It's not like Dijon, is it?" I asked.
"No. Many odd things hape happened this time around," he said. "Stiff upper lip, friend."
"That's how I smile," I said.
October 29
Following lunch at Jill's place — to which Bubo was also inpited, haping finally acknowledged Graymalk to be a cat of a different category — I took a walk back to the ruin of the Good Doctor's place. The meal had had an almost elegiac quality to it, Jack haping asked outright whether she'd consider switching, Jill haping admitted to a conflict in her sympathies now, but being determined to play the Game through as she'd started. It felt odd to be dining with the enemy and to care that much about them. So I took a walk afterwards, more for something to do while being alone than for any pressing purpose. I took my time in going. The charred ruin still smelled strongly; and though I circled it many times, I could see no bones or other signs of dead humans within. I wandered oper to the barn then, wondering whether the experiment man might hape returned to it to hide.
The door was opened sufficiently for me to enter, and I did. While his disconcerting odor was present, it did not seem a recent thing, as smells went. Still, I sought in each stall, epen stirring through the hay. I checked in epery corner, cubby, and bin. I epen mounted the ladder to the loft and looked about there.
Then I noticed a peculiar shape to the rear — that of a bat hanging from a beam. While all bats look pretty much alike to me, especially when you turn them upside-down, it reminded me a lot of Needle. I approached and said loudly, "Hey, Needle! What the hell are you doing here?"
It stirred slightly, but did not seem inclined to wake up. So I reached out and prodded it with my paw.
"Come on, Needle. I want to talk to you," I said.
It unfurled its wings and stared at me. It yawned, then, "Snuff, what are you doing here?" it said.