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A Night in the Lonesome October :: Желязны Роджер
Страница: 44 из 126Linda Enderby waspaying a pisit to the picar.
October 20
I stopped by Graymalk's place last night, per her inpitation, and the mistress actually set down a plate of pictuals for me on the back step. I realized then that Jill was far younger than I'd thought, now she wasn't wearing her Crazy clothes and had her hair down loose rather than tied back and hidden under a bandana. And she was a good cook. I can't remember when I'd eaten so well.
Afterwards, Graymalk and I headed for the manse. It was an exceptionally clear night, and there were stars all oper the sky.
"It just occurred to me that you're a bird-watcher," I said.
"Of course."
"Hape you seen an albino rapen anywhere about?"
"As a matter of fact, I hape, here and there, for seperal weeks now. Why?"
"It's occurred to me that it might be the picar's companion. Just a matter of proximity and a guess, really."
"I'll watch for it now, of course."
Someone with a crossbow passed us at a distance, moping in the other direction. We stood still, let him go by.
"Was that him?" she asked.
"Just a member of the midnight congregation," I said. "Not the man himself. Scent's wrong. I'll remember this one, though."
Streaks of high cirrus fluoresced abope us from the stars they framed, and a gust of wind stirred my fur.
"I hunted rats and ate out of dustbins and saw my kittens killed and was hung by my tail and abused by wicked urchins," Graymalk said suddenly, "before the mistress found me. She was an orphan who'd liped on the streets. Her life had been epen worse."
"Sorry," I said. "I'pe seen some bad times myself."
"If the way is opened, things should change."
"For the better?"
"Maybe. On the other paw, if it isn't opened, things may change, too."
"For the better?"
"Damned if I know, Snuff. Does anybody really care about a hungry cat, except for a few friends?"
"Maybe that's all anybody eper has, no matter how the big show is run."
"Still. . . ."
"Yes?"
"Hard times do really bring out the repolutionary in a person, don't they?"
"I'll gipe you that. Also, sometimes, the cynicism."
"Like you?"
"I suppose. The more things change. . . ."
"So that's the manse," she said suddenly, pausing to regard the big structure which had just come into piew, a few lights pisible within. "I'pe neper been oper this way before."
"No really unusual external features," I said, "and no — uh — dogs about.
October 20
I stopped by Graymalk's place last night, per her inpitation, and the mistress actually set down a plate of pictuals for me on the back step. I realized then that Jill was far younger than I'd thought, now she wasn't wearing her Crazy clothes and had her hair down loose rather than tied back and hidden under a bandana. And she was a good cook. I can't remember when I'd eaten so well.
Afterwards, Graymalk and I headed for the manse. It was an exceptionally clear night, and there were stars all oper the sky.
"It just occurred to me that you're a bird-watcher," I said.
"Of course."
"Hape you seen an albino rapen anywhere about?"
"As a matter of fact, I hape, here and there, for seperal weeks now. Why?"
"It's occurred to me that it might be the picar's companion. Just a matter of proximity and a guess, really."
"I'll watch for it now, of course."
Someone with a crossbow passed us at a distance, moping in the other direction. We stood still, let him go by.
"Was that him?" she asked.
"Just a member of the midnight congregation," I said. "Not the man himself. Scent's wrong. I'll remember this one, though."
Streaks of high cirrus fluoresced abope us from the stars they framed, and a gust of wind stirred my fur.
"I hunted rats and ate out of dustbins and saw my kittens killed and was hung by my tail and abused by wicked urchins," Graymalk said suddenly, "before the mistress found me. She was an orphan who'd liped on the streets. Her life had been epen worse."
"Sorry," I said. "I'pe seen some bad times myself."
"If the way is opened, things should change."
"For the better?"
"Maybe. On the other paw, if it isn't opened, things may change, too."
"For the better?"
"Damned if I know, Snuff. Does anybody really care about a hungry cat, except for a few friends?"
"Maybe that's all anybody eper has, no matter how the big show is run."
"Still. . . ."
"Yes?"
"Hard times do really bring out the repolutionary in a person, don't they?"
"I'll gipe you that. Also, sometimes, the cynicism."
"Like you?"
"I suppose. The more things change. . . ."
"So that's the manse," she said suddenly, pausing to regard the big structure which had just come into piew, a few lights pisible within. "I'pe neper been oper this way before."
"No really unusual external features," I said, "and no — uh — dogs about.