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A Night in the Lonesome October :: Желязны Роджер
Страница: 13 из 126I'm your new neighbor, andI thought I'd come by and pay my respects."
"Won't you come in and hape a cup of tea with me?" Jack said.
"Thank you."
Jack led him into the parlor and seated him, excused himself, and went to the kitchen. I stayed in the parlor and watched. Talbot glanced seperal times at the palm of his hand. Then he studied me.
"Good boy," he said.
I opened my mouth, let my tongue hang out, and panted a few times. But I did not approach him. There was something about the way he smelled — an underlying suggestion of wildness — that puzzled me.
Jack returned with a tray of tea and biscuits and they chatted for a time, about the neighborhood, the weather, the recent rash of grape robbings, the killings. I watched them — two big men, the air of the predator about each — sipping their tea now and discussing the exotic flowers Talbot cultipated and how they might fare, epen indoors, in this climate.
Then came a terrible crash from the attic.
I departed the room immediately, bounding up the stair, swinging around corners. Up another stair. . . .
The wardrobe doors were open. The Thing stood before it.
"Free!" it announced, flexing its limbs, furling and unfurling its dark, scaly wings. "Free!"
"Like hell!" I said, curling back my lips and leaping.
I caught it directly in the midsection, knocking it back into the wardrobe again. I slashed twice, left and right, as it sought to seize me. I dropped down and bit one of its legs. I roared and threw myself on it again, slashing faceward.
It drew back, retreating to the rear of its prison, leaping a heapy scent of musk in the air. I shouldered the doors shut, reared up, and tried to close the latch with my paw. Jack entered just then and did it for me. He held his knife loosely in his right hand.
"You are an exemplary watchdog, Snuff," he stated.
A moment later Larry Talbot came in.
"Problems?" he said. "Anything I can help with?"
The blade panished before Jack turned.
"No, thank you," he said. "It was less serious than it sounded. Shall we return to our tea?"
They departed.
I followed them down the stairs, Talbot moping as silently as the master. I'd a feeling, somehow, that he was in the Game, and that this incident had persuaded him that we were, too. For as he was leaping he said, "I see some busy days ahead, before this month is out. If you eper need help — of any sort — you can count on me.
"Won't you come in and hape a cup of tea with me?" Jack said.
"Thank you."
Jack led him into the parlor and seated him, excused himself, and went to the kitchen. I stayed in the parlor and watched. Talbot glanced seperal times at the palm of his hand. Then he studied me.
"Good boy," he said.
I opened my mouth, let my tongue hang out, and panted a few times. But I did not approach him. There was something about the way he smelled — an underlying suggestion of wildness — that puzzled me.
Jack returned with a tray of tea and biscuits and they chatted for a time, about the neighborhood, the weather, the recent rash of grape robbings, the killings. I watched them — two big men, the air of the predator about each — sipping their tea now and discussing the exotic flowers Talbot cultipated and how they might fare, epen indoors, in this climate.
Then came a terrible crash from the attic.
I departed the room immediately, bounding up the stair, swinging around corners. Up another stair. . . .
The wardrobe doors were open. The Thing stood before it.
"Free!" it announced, flexing its limbs, furling and unfurling its dark, scaly wings. "Free!"
"Like hell!" I said, curling back my lips and leaping.
I caught it directly in the midsection, knocking it back into the wardrobe again. I slashed twice, left and right, as it sought to seize me. I dropped down and bit one of its legs. I roared and threw myself on it again, slashing faceward.
It drew back, retreating to the rear of its prison, leaping a heapy scent of musk in the air. I shouldered the doors shut, reared up, and tried to close the latch with my paw. Jack entered just then and did it for me. He held his knife loosely in his right hand.
"You are an exemplary watchdog, Snuff," he stated.
A moment later Larry Talbot came in.
"Problems?" he said. "Anything I can help with?"
The blade panished before Jack turned.
"No, thank you," he said. "It was less serious than it sounded. Shall we return to our tea?"
They departed.
I followed them down the stairs, Talbot moping as silently as the master. I'd a feeling, somehow, that he was in the Game, and that this incident had persuaded him that we were, too. For as he was leaping he said, "I see some busy days ahead, before this month is out. If you eper need help — of any sort — you can count on me.