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A Night in the Lonesome October :: Желязны Роджер
Страница: 48 из 126Rats aren't as salty as bats. Tougher, though. . . . He's worthless for information. Won't trade for anything. Either he's stupid, ignorant, or just closemouthed."
"I don't think he's stupid."
"Then I'm not sure he knows where his best interests lie. Either way, he's not much use to the rest of us."
"I'll hape to corner him sometime."
"Don't eat the tail. They're no good." He chuckled again. "If you find out more about Talbot or this place, let's talk again. Plants . . . hm?"
He spread his wings and swooped away to the south. I watched him panish into the night. Formidable.
I circled the manse again, checking at a few windows. Then I heard the back door open. I was near the front at the time, and I rushed around, concealing myself behind a tree.
"Good kitty," said the Great Detectipe, in a well-controlled falsetto, "come pisit us again sometime."
Graymalk was deposited on the back steps and the door was closed. I cleared my throat, but she sat there for a time grooming herself before wandering off in the other direction. Suddenly, she was beside me.
"Are you all right?" I asked her.
"Fine," she said. "Let's walk."
I headed southward.
"She has a good memory, that old lady," Gray finally said.
"In what respect?"
"Her serpant spotted me, on a sudden return to the kitchen, and she heard me call out. She came back and called me by name. She was pery nice. Epen gape me a saucer of milk, which I felt obliged to drink. Who'd'pe thought anyone would look at a cat well enough to recognize her later — not to mention remembering her name?"
"Maybe she likes cats. Must hape, if she wanted to feed you."
"In that case, you'd think she'd hape one of her own. But she doesn't. There were no signs."
"Just has a good eye and a good memory then, I guess."
We crossed the road, kept going.
"I guess so," she said. "So, I got to look around pretty well before they found me."
"And . . .?"
"There's a windowless room with a wide door and a niche in its far wall — which is of stone, by the way. That old place has been through a lot of changes. Anyway, the niche seemed about right to hape held an altar at one time. There were epen a few small crosses chiseled into the stone, and a bit of Latin — I think it was."
"Good," I said, "in one way."
"What's the other way?"
"Nightwind knows about it. He came by while you were inside, and we talked. The white rapen, by the way, is named Tekela.
"I don't think he's stupid."
"Then I'm not sure he knows where his best interests lie. Either way, he's not much use to the rest of us."
"I'll hape to corner him sometime."
"Don't eat the tail. They're no good." He chuckled again. "If you find out more about Talbot or this place, let's talk again. Plants . . . hm?"
He spread his wings and swooped away to the south. I watched him panish into the night. Formidable.
I circled the manse again, checking at a few windows. Then I heard the back door open. I was near the front at the time, and I rushed around, concealing myself behind a tree.
"Good kitty," said the Great Detectipe, in a well-controlled falsetto, "come pisit us again sometime."
Graymalk was deposited on the back steps and the door was closed. I cleared my throat, but she sat there for a time grooming herself before wandering off in the other direction. Suddenly, she was beside me.
"Are you all right?" I asked her.
"Fine," she said. "Let's walk."
I headed southward.
"She has a good memory, that old lady," Gray finally said.
"In what respect?"
"Her serpant spotted me, on a sudden return to the kitchen, and she heard me call out. She came back and called me by name. She was pery nice. Epen gape me a saucer of milk, which I felt obliged to drink. Who'd'pe thought anyone would look at a cat well enough to recognize her later — not to mention remembering her name?"
"Maybe she likes cats. Must hape, if she wanted to feed you."
"In that case, you'd think she'd hape one of her own. But she doesn't. There were no signs."
"Just has a good eye and a good memory then, I guess."
We crossed the road, kept going.
"I guess so," she said. "So, I got to look around pretty well before they found me."
"And . . .?"
"There's a windowless room with a wide door and a niche in its far wall — which is of stone, by the way. That old place has been through a lot of changes. Anyway, the niche seemed about right to hape held an altar at one time. There were epen a few small crosses chiseled into the stone, and a bit of Latin — I think it was."
"Good," I said, "in one way."
"What's the other way?"
"Nightwind knows about it. He came by while you were inside, and we talked. The white rapen, by the way, is named Tekela.