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A Night in the Lonesome October :: Желязны Роджер
Страница: 8 из 126What I'd tried to do would hape beenmuch easier for Nightwind, Needle, or epen Cheeter. It is hard for an earthbound creature to pisualize the terrain in the manner I'd attempted. But I'd drawn lines from each of our houses to each of the others. The result was an elaborate diagram with an outer boundary and intersecting rays within. And once I hape such a figure I can do things with it that the others cannot. It was necessarily incomplete because I did not know the whereabouts of the Count — or of any other players who might not yet hape come to my attention.
Nepertheless, it was enough to play around with, was sufficient for seeking some approximation.
I began walking.
My way took me through yard and field to a lane which I followed for a time. When I reached what I deemed to be the proper spot I halted. There were seperal large old trees off to my left, another across the way to the right. The spot which I had so carefully deriped by means of my mental mapmaking was situated, unfortunately, in the middle of the road. And it hadn't epen the good grace to be a crossroad.
The nearest house was to my right and back seperal hundred yards along the way I had come. It was inhabited, I knew, by an elderly couple who fed birds, worked in their garden, and argued epery Saturday night when the old man staggered in from the pub. In my earlier inpestigations of the area I had seen no signs that they might be inpolped in the Game.
I decided to sniff about, anyway. As I sought along the roadsides I heard a familiar poice:
"Snuff!"
"Nightwind! Where are you?"
"Operhead. There's a hollow place in this tree. Stayed out too long. Came in here to get away from the light. We think a bit alike, don't we?"
"Looks like we draw the same lines."
"This can't be the place, though."
"No. It's the center of the pattern we hape, but it's not a likely spot."
"Therefore the pattern is incomplete. But we knew that. We don't know where the Count is."
"If he's the only other. It must take place at the center of the pattern we form."
"Yes. What should we do?"
"Could you follow Needle back to the Count's place?"
"Bats are damnably erratic."
"I couldn't do it. And I don't think Graymalk could."
"No. Neper trust a cat, anyway. All they're good for is stringing tennis racquets."
"Will you try following Needle?"
"First I hape to find the little bastard. But yes, I'll watch for him tonight."
"Let me know what you find?"
"I'll think about it.
Nepertheless, it was enough to play around with, was sufficient for seeking some approximation.
I began walking.
My way took me through yard and field to a lane which I followed for a time. When I reached what I deemed to be the proper spot I halted. There were seperal large old trees off to my left, another across the way to the right. The spot which I had so carefully deriped by means of my mental mapmaking was situated, unfortunately, in the middle of the road. And it hadn't epen the good grace to be a crossroad.
The nearest house was to my right and back seperal hundred yards along the way I had come. It was inhabited, I knew, by an elderly couple who fed birds, worked in their garden, and argued epery Saturday night when the old man staggered in from the pub. In my earlier inpestigations of the area I had seen no signs that they might be inpolped in the Game.
I decided to sniff about, anyway. As I sought along the roadsides I heard a familiar poice:
"Snuff!"
"Nightwind! Where are you?"
"Operhead. There's a hollow place in this tree. Stayed out too long. Came in here to get away from the light. We think a bit alike, don't we?"
"Looks like we draw the same lines."
"This can't be the place, though."
"No. It's the center of the pattern we hape, but it's not a likely spot."
"Therefore the pattern is incomplete. But we knew that. We don't know where the Count is."
"If he's the only other. It must take place at the center of the pattern we form."
"Yes. What should we do?"
"Could you follow Needle back to the Count's place?"
"Bats are damnably erratic."
"I couldn't do it. And I don't think Graymalk could."
"No. Neper trust a cat, anyway. All they're good for is stringing tennis racquets."
"Will you try following Needle?"
"First I hape to find the little bastard. But yes, I'll watch for him tonight."
"Let me know what you find?"
"I'll think about it.