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The Lunatic Cafe :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 214 из 234The light was almostdaylight bright this far away from the city. Wisps of cloud rode the sky, made luminous with moonshine.
"Richard?"
"I knew him, Anita. We've gone birding together. We talked about his doctorate thesis. I knew him, and now all I can think of is the smell of blood and how warm he still is."
He opened his eyes and looked at me. There was sorrow in his eyes, but mostly there was darkness. His beast was looking out through his eyes.
I turned away. I couldn't hold his gaze. "I've got to make this phone call. Don't eat any of the evidence." I walked away across the snow. It had been too long a night.
I called from the phone in Williams's kitchen. I called Garroway first, told him what we'd found. Once he could breathe, he cursed a bit and said he'd come himself. Probably wondering if things would have turned out differently if he'd come in the first place. Command decisions are always hard.
I hung up and dialed the number on my beeper. "Hello."
"This is Anita Blake. This number was left on my beeper."
"Anita, this is Kaspar Gunderson."
The swan man. "Yes, Kaspar, what is it?"
"You sound awful. Has something happened?"
"Lots, but why did you beep me?"
"I found Jason."
I stood a little straighter. "You're kidding."
"No, I found him. I've got him at my house now. I've been trying to contact Richard. Do you know where he is?"
"With me."
"Perfect," he said. "Can he come take charge of Jason before he changes?"
"Well, yeah, I guess so, why?"
"I'm just a bird, Anita. I'm not a predator. I can't control an inexperienced werewolf."
"Okay, I'll tell him. Where's your house?"
"Richard knows where it is. I've got to get back to Jason, keep him calm. If he loses it before Richard arrives, I'm running for cover. So if I don't answer the doorbell, you'll know what happened."
"Are you in danger from him?"
"Just hurry." He hung up.
Richard had come inside. He was standing in the doorway looking bemused, as if listening to music only he could hear.
"Richard?"
His head moved slowly towards the sound of my voice like a video running on slow speed. His eyes were pale golden yellow, the color of amber.
"Jesus," I said.
He didn't look away. He blinked his new eyes at me. "What is it?"
"Kaspar called. He found Jason. He's been trying to get you. Says he can't control him once he changes."
"Jason's all right," he said. He gave it that questioning lilt.
"Richard?"
"I knew him, Anita. We've gone birding together. We talked about his doctorate thesis. I knew him, and now all I can think of is the smell of blood and how warm he still is."
He opened his eyes and looked at me. There was sorrow in his eyes, but mostly there was darkness. His beast was looking out through his eyes.
I turned away. I couldn't hold his gaze. "I've got to make this phone call. Don't eat any of the evidence." I walked away across the snow. It had been too long a night.
I called from the phone in Williams's kitchen. I called Garroway first, told him what we'd found. Once he could breathe, he cursed a bit and said he'd come himself. Probably wondering if things would have turned out differently if he'd come in the first place. Command decisions are always hard.
I hung up and dialed the number on my beeper. "Hello."
"This is Anita Blake. This number was left on my beeper."
"Anita, this is Kaspar Gunderson."
The swan man. "Yes, Kaspar, what is it?"
"You sound awful. Has something happened?"
"Lots, but why did you beep me?"
"I found Jason."
I stood a little straighter. "You're kidding."
"No, I found him. I've got him at my house now. I've been trying to contact Richard. Do you know where he is?"
"With me."
"Perfect," he said. "Can he come take charge of Jason before he changes?"
"Well, yeah, I guess so, why?"
"I'm just a bird, Anita. I'm not a predator. I can't control an inexperienced werewolf."
"Okay, I'll tell him. Where's your house?"
"Richard knows where it is. I've got to get back to Jason, keep him calm. If he loses it before Richard arrives, I'm running for cover. So if I don't answer the doorbell, you'll know what happened."
"Are you in danger from him?"
"Just hurry." He hung up.
Richard had come inside. He was standing in the doorway looking bemused, as if listening to music only he could hear.
"Richard?"
His head moved slowly towards the sound of my voice like a video running on slow speed. His eyes were pale golden yellow, the color of amber.
"Jesus," I said.
He didn't look away. He blinked his new eyes at me. "What is it?"
"Kaspar called. He found Jason. He's been trying to get you. Says he can't control him once he changes."
"Jason's all right," he said. He gave it that questioning lilt.