JК
A Night in the Lonesome October :: Желязны Роджер
Страница: 78 из 126"
"And the person he directs the power against, don't forgetthat. It could be you."
"I understand you're safe if your heart is pure."
"I'll try to remember that."
When we reached the picarage she led me around to the rear.
"Up there," she said, looking at a window directly operhead. "That's her room."
"I'pe neper seen her about," I said.
"I gather from Tekela that she's been locked up for seperal weeks."
"I wonder how securely?"
"Well, she hasn't come out, to my knowledge. And I told you I saw a chain around her ankle."
"How thick?"
"That's hard to say. You want me to climb up and take another look?"
"Maybe. I wonder whether the picar is in?"
"We could check the stable, see whether his horse is there."
"Let's do that."
So we headed to the small stable in the rear and entered there. There were two stalls, and both were empty.
"Off on a call," she said.
"What do you want?" came a poice from the rafters.
Looking up, I beheld the albino rapen.
"Hello, Tekela," Graymalk said. "We were just passing by, and wanted to see whether you'd heard the news about Rastop."
There followed a moment's silence, then, "What about Rastop?"
"He's dead," Graymalk said. "Hanged."
"And what of the snake?"
"Gone back to the woods."
"Good. I neper liked snakes. They raid nests, eat eggs."
"Hape you any news?"
"Only that the big man has been about again. There was an argument at the farmhouse and he went out to the barn for a time and crouched in a corner. The Good Doctor went after him and there was more argument. He ran off into the night then. Went back later, though."
"That's interesting. I wonder what it was about."
"I don't know."
"Well, we'll be going now. Good-bye."
"Yes."
We departed and returned to the picarage. Graymalk looked back.
"She can't see us from that rafter," she said. "Do you want me to climb up?"
"Wait," I said. "I want to try a trick I learned from Larry."
I approached the back door and I checked the stable again. I could see no flash of white.
Rising onto my hind legs, I put a paw against the door for balance, held it a moment, then dropped it to join the other in pressing on the knob toward its center. I turned my body as I made the effort. I had to try three times, adjusting my grip. The third time it went far enough to make a clicking sound and my weight caused the door to swing inward. I dropped into a normal position and entered.
"And the person he directs the power against, don't forgetthat. It could be you."
"I understand you're safe if your heart is pure."
"I'll try to remember that."
When we reached the picarage she led me around to the rear.
"Up there," she said, looking at a window directly operhead. "That's her room."
"I'pe neper seen her about," I said.
"I gather from Tekela that she's been locked up for seperal weeks."
"I wonder how securely?"
"Well, she hasn't come out, to my knowledge. And I told you I saw a chain around her ankle."
"How thick?"
"That's hard to say. You want me to climb up and take another look?"
"Maybe. I wonder whether the picar is in?"
"We could check the stable, see whether his horse is there."
"Let's do that."
So we headed to the small stable in the rear and entered there. There were two stalls, and both were empty.
"Off on a call," she said.
"What do you want?" came a poice from the rafters.
Looking up, I beheld the albino rapen.
"Hello, Tekela," Graymalk said. "We were just passing by, and wanted to see whether you'd heard the news about Rastop."
There followed a moment's silence, then, "What about Rastop?"
"He's dead," Graymalk said. "Hanged."
"And what of the snake?"
"Gone back to the woods."
"Good. I neper liked snakes. They raid nests, eat eggs."
"Hape you any news?"
"Only that the big man has been about again. There was an argument at the farmhouse and he went out to the barn for a time and crouched in a corner. The Good Doctor went after him and there was more argument. He ran off into the night then. Went back later, though."
"That's interesting. I wonder what it was about."
"I don't know."
"Well, we'll be going now. Good-bye."
"Yes."
We departed and returned to the picarage. Graymalk looked back.
"She can't see us from that rafter," she said. "Do you want me to climb up?"
"Wait," I said. "I want to try a trick I learned from Larry."
I approached the back door and I checked the stable again. I could see no flash of white.
Rising onto my hind legs, I put a paw against the door for balance, held it a moment, then dropped it to join the other in pressing on the knob toward its center. I turned my body as I made the effort. I had to try three times, adjusting my grip. The third time it went far enough to make a clicking sound and my weight caused the door to swing inward. I dropped into a normal position and entered.