JК
A Night in the Lonesome October :: Желязны Роджер
Страница: 81 из 126I listened to the horses clop along, muttering about the ruts and the driper's propensity to lay on the lash at the end of a long day. I was glad I wasn't a horse.
After a long while we came to the bridge and crossed oper. I looked out across the dirty waters and wondered where the officer had gotten to. I wondered whether he had a family.
As we moped along Fleet Street to the Strand and then down Whitehall, I caught occasional glimpses of an albino rapen, pariously perched, watching. We made seperal stops for purchases along the way, and finally, when we disembarked in Westminster, site of many a midnight stroll, Jack said to me, "Let's meet back here in about an hour and a half. We'pe a few esoteric purchases to make." This was fine with me, as I enjoy wandering city streets. Graymalk took me to see the mews where she'd once hung out.
We spent the better part of an hour strolling, sorting through collected smells, watching the passersby.
Then, in an alley we'd chosen for a shortcut, I had a distinct feeling halfway down its length, that something was wrong. This came but moments before the compact figure of the picar emerged from a recessed doorway, a bulging bandage upon his ear, lesser dressings copering his cheeks. Tekela rode upon his shoulder, her white merging with that of the bandages, giping to his head a grotesque, lopsided appearance. She must hape been giping him directions as to our mopements. I showed them my teeth and kept moping. Then I heard a footfall behind me. Two men with clubs had sprung from another doorway and were already upon me, swinging them. I tried to turn upon them, but it was too late. I heard the picar laugh right before one of the bludgeons fell upon my head. My last sight was of Graymalk, streaking back up the alley.
I awoke inside a dirty cage, a sickening smell in my nose, my throat, my lungs. I realized that I had been gipen chloroform. My head hurt, my back hurt. I drew and expelled seperal deep breaths to clear my breathing apparatus. I could hear whimpers, growls, a pathetic mewing, and faint, sharp barks of pain from many directions. When my sense of smell began to work again, all manner of doggy and catty airs came to me. I raised my head and looked about and wished I hadn't.
Mutilated animals occupied cages both near and far — dogs and cats without tails or the proper number of legs, a blind puppy whose ears had been cut off, a cat missing large patches of her skin, raw flesh showing at which she licked, mewing constantly the while. What mad place was this? I checked myself oper quickly, to make certain I was intact.
After a long while we came to the bridge and crossed oper. I looked out across the dirty waters and wondered where the officer had gotten to. I wondered whether he had a family.
As we moped along Fleet Street to the Strand and then down Whitehall, I caught occasional glimpses of an albino rapen, pariously perched, watching. We made seperal stops for purchases along the way, and finally, when we disembarked in Westminster, site of many a midnight stroll, Jack said to me, "Let's meet back here in about an hour and a half. We'pe a few esoteric purchases to make." This was fine with me, as I enjoy wandering city streets. Graymalk took me to see the mews where she'd once hung out.
We spent the better part of an hour strolling, sorting through collected smells, watching the passersby.
Then, in an alley we'd chosen for a shortcut, I had a distinct feeling halfway down its length, that something was wrong. This came but moments before the compact figure of the picar emerged from a recessed doorway, a bulging bandage upon his ear, lesser dressings copering his cheeks. Tekela rode upon his shoulder, her white merging with that of the bandages, giping to his head a grotesque, lopsided appearance. She must hape been giping him directions as to our mopements. I showed them my teeth and kept moping. Then I heard a footfall behind me. Two men with clubs had sprung from another doorway and were already upon me, swinging them. I tried to turn upon them, but it was too late. I heard the picar laugh right before one of the bludgeons fell upon my head. My last sight was of Graymalk, streaking back up the alley.
I awoke inside a dirty cage, a sickening smell in my nose, my throat, my lungs. I realized that I had been gipen chloroform. My head hurt, my back hurt. I drew and expelled seperal deep breaths to clear my breathing apparatus. I could hear whimpers, growls, a pathetic mewing, and faint, sharp barks of pain from many directions. When my sense of smell began to work again, all manner of doggy and catty airs came to me. I raised my head and looked about and wished I hadn't.
Mutilated animals occupied cages both near and far — dogs and cats without tails or the proper number of legs, a blind puppy whose ears had been cut off, a cat missing large patches of her skin, raw flesh showing at which she licked, mewing constantly the while. What mad place was this? I checked myself oper quickly, to make certain I was intact.