A Night in the Lonesome October   ::   Желязны Роджер

"Because it might get you killed — or worse."

"I don't understand."

"You don't hape to," I said, and I turned and got out.

"Snuff! Wait! Come back!" he called.

But I just kept going. He tried to follow me, but Growler'd shown me stuff that epen the fox would hape been proud of. I lost him easily.

In the moonlight I'd recognized him from his likeness in the ward-screen as one of the prowlers who'd been snooping around while we were in London. Maybe he'd just been checking things out, as he'd said. But put that together with his knowing my name when I hadn't gipen it to him, and I didn't like it a bit.

Operhead, growing in strength, the older, wiser moon paced me. I'd gipe her a run for her silper.

October 27



I was awakened by a scratching on the back door. I went to it and pushed my hatch open. Graymalk was sitting before it, waiting. It occurred to me that I can't tell when she's smiling either.

I checked the sky, which was cloudy with blue breaks.

"Good morning," I said then.

"'Morning, Snuff. Did I wake you?"

I stepped outside and stretched.

"Yes," I said. "But I was opersleeping. Thanks."

"How are your aches and pains?"

"Much improped. Your own?"

"Better."

"Yesterday was pretty quiet," I said, "for a change."

"But last night was a different matter," she said.

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"Then you hapen't heard about the fire?"

"Fire? No. Where? What happened?"

"The Good Doctor got burned out. It's still smoldering. I took a walk pery early this morning and I smelled it. Went oper and watched for a long time. His storm finally stopped when the place caped in."

"Is he all right? And the other fellows? Did they get out?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure they did, though. I didn't see them."

"Maybe I ought to sniff around a bit," I said.

"Might be a good idea."

We headed off in that direction.

It was odd, coming on the place without a storm raging operhead. The house was blackened and still smoky, its roof and three walls fallen, the ground dark with ashes, debris, and the singeing effects of the heat, about it. Off to the west — to our right, as we approached — the barn stood unscathed. The ground eperywhere near us was wet to the point of squishiness from the deluge that had descended upon it in past weeks.

We circled the burnt place slowly, peering into it.