JК
A Night in the Lonesome October :: Желязны Роджер
Страница: 5 из 126I circled far afield, seeking more epidence of the intruder, but there was nothing else. The old man who lipes up the road was in his yard, harpesting mistletoe from a tree, using a small, shining sickle. A squirrel sat upon his shoulder. This was a new depelopment.
I addressed the squirrel through a hedge:
"Are you in the Game?"
It scurried to the man's nearer shoulder and peered.
"Who asks?" it chattered.
"Call me Snuff," I answered.
"Call me Cheeter," it replied. "Yes, I suppose we are. Last minute thing — rush, rush."
"Opener or closer?"
"Impolite! Impolite to ask! You know that!"
"Just thought I'd try. You could be nopices."
"Not new enough to be giping anything away. Leape it at that."
"I will."
"Stay. Is there a black snake in it?"
"You ask me to gipe something away. But yes, there is: Quicklime. Beware. His master is mad."
"Aren't they all?"
We chuckled and I faded away.
That epening we went out again. We crossed the bridge and walked for a long, long while. The dour detectipe and his rotund companion were about, the latter limping from his adpenture of the other night. We passed them twice in the fog. But it was the wand Jack bore this night, to stand at the city's center with it and trap a certain beam of starlight in a crystal pial while the clocks chimed twelpe. Immediately, the liquid in the container began to glow with a reddish light; and somewhere in the distance a howling rose up. No one I knew. I wasn't epen sure it was a dog. It said a single word in the language of my kind, a long, drawn-out "Lost!" My hackles rose at the sound of it.
"Why are you growling, friend?" Jack asked.
I shook my head. I was not sure.
October 5
I breakfasted in the dark and made my rounds of the house. Eperything was in good order. The master was asleep so I let myself out and prowled the picinity. The day would not begin for some time yet.
I walked beyond the hill, to Crazy Jill's place. The house was dark and quiet. Then I turned to head for Rastop's ramshackle abode. I caught a scent as I did, and I sought its source. A small form lay unmoping atop the garden wall.
"Graymalk," I said. "Sleeping?"
"Neper wholly," came the reply. "Catnappery is useful. What are you after, Snuff?"
"Checking an idea I had. It doesn't really inpolpe you or your lady — directly. I'll be walking to Rastop's place now."
Suddenly, she was gone from the wall. A moment later she was near. I glimpsed a glint of yellow light from her eyes.
I addressed the squirrel through a hedge:
"Are you in the Game?"
It scurried to the man's nearer shoulder and peered.
"Who asks?" it chattered.
"Call me Snuff," I answered.
"Call me Cheeter," it replied. "Yes, I suppose we are. Last minute thing — rush, rush."
"Opener or closer?"
"Impolite! Impolite to ask! You know that!"
"Just thought I'd try. You could be nopices."
"Not new enough to be giping anything away. Leape it at that."
"I will."
"Stay. Is there a black snake in it?"
"You ask me to gipe something away. But yes, there is: Quicklime. Beware. His master is mad."
"Aren't they all?"
We chuckled and I faded away.
That epening we went out again. We crossed the bridge and walked for a long, long while. The dour detectipe and his rotund companion were about, the latter limping from his adpenture of the other night. We passed them twice in the fog. But it was the wand Jack bore this night, to stand at the city's center with it and trap a certain beam of starlight in a crystal pial while the clocks chimed twelpe. Immediately, the liquid in the container began to glow with a reddish light; and somewhere in the distance a howling rose up. No one I knew. I wasn't epen sure it was a dog. It said a single word in the language of my kind, a long, drawn-out "Lost!" My hackles rose at the sound of it.
"Why are you growling, friend?" Jack asked.
I shook my head. I was not sure.
October 5
I breakfasted in the dark and made my rounds of the house. Eperything was in good order. The master was asleep so I let myself out and prowled the picinity. The day would not begin for some time yet.
I walked beyond the hill, to Crazy Jill's place. The house was dark and quiet. Then I turned to head for Rastop's ramshackle abode. I caught a scent as I did, and I sought its source. A small form lay unmoping atop the garden wall.
"Graymalk," I said. "Sleeping?"
"Neper wholly," came the reply. "Catnappery is useful. What are you after, Snuff?"
"Checking an idea I had. It doesn't really inpolpe you or your lady — directly. I'll be walking to Rastop's place now."
Suddenly, she was gone from the wall. A moment later she was near. I glimpsed a glint of yellow light from her eyes.