JК
The Lovers :: Фармер Филип Хосе
Страница: 65 из 127Without her, he was nothing, a resentful but scared rabbit. A few hours with her had enabled him to overcome many years of rigid discipline.
He clicked on the front room lights. Looking beyond into the dining room, he could see the closed kitchen door. The rattling of pots came through it. He sniffed deeply.
Steak!
The pleasure was replaced by a frown. He'd told her to hide until he returned. What if he had been a wog or an Uzzite?
When the door swung open, the hinges squeaked. Jeannette's back was to him. At the first protest of unoiled iron, she whirled. The spatula in her hand dropped; the other hand flew to her open mouth.
The angry words on his lips died. If she were to be scolded now, she would probably break out in embarrassing tears.
'Maw choo! You startled me!'
He grunted and went by her to lift the lids on the pots.
'You see,' she said, her voice trembling as if she divined his anger and were defending herself. 'I have lived such a life, being afraid of getting caught, that anything sudden scares me. I am always ready to run.'
'How those wogs fooled me!' Hal said sourly. 'I thought they were so kind and gentle.'
She glanced at him out of the side of her large eyes. Her color had come back; her red lips smiled.
'Oh, they weren't so bad. They really were kind. They gave me everything I wanted, except my freedom. They were afraid I'd make my way back to my sisters.'
'What did they care?'
'Oh, they thought there might be some males of my race left in the jungle and that I might give them children. They are terribly frightened of my race becoming numerous and strong again and making war on them. They do not like war.'
'They are strange beings,' he said. 'But we cannot expect to understand those who do not know the reality of the Forerunner. Moreover, they are closer to the insect than to man.'
'Being a man does not necessarily mean being better,' Jeannette said with a tinge of asperity.
'All God's creatures have their proper place in the universe,' he replied. 'But man's place is everywhere and every when. He can occupy any position in space and can travel in any direction in time. And if he must dispossess a creature to gain that place or time, he is doing only what is right.'
'Quoting the Forerunner?'
'Of course.'
'Perhaps, he is right. Perhaps. But what is man? Man is a sentient being. A wog is a sentient being. Therefore, the wog is a man. Nespfa?'
'Shib or sib, let's not argue. Why don't we eat?'
'I wasn't arguing.
He clicked on the front room lights. Looking beyond into the dining room, he could see the closed kitchen door. The rattling of pots came through it. He sniffed deeply.
Steak!
The pleasure was replaced by a frown. He'd told her to hide until he returned. What if he had been a wog or an Uzzite?
When the door swung open, the hinges squeaked. Jeannette's back was to him. At the first protest of unoiled iron, she whirled. The spatula in her hand dropped; the other hand flew to her open mouth.
The angry words on his lips died. If she were to be scolded now, she would probably break out in embarrassing tears.
'Maw choo! You startled me!'
He grunted and went by her to lift the lids on the pots.
'You see,' she said, her voice trembling as if she divined his anger and were defending herself. 'I have lived such a life, being afraid of getting caught, that anything sudden scares me. I am always ready to run.'
'How those wogs fooled me!' Hal said sourly. 'I thought they were so kind and gentle.'
She glanced at him out of the side of her large eyes. Her color had come back; her red lips smiled.
'Oh, they weren't so bad. They really were kind. They gave me everything I wanted, except my freedom. They were afraid I'd make my way back to my sisters.'
'What did they care?'
'Oh, they thought there might be some males of my race left in the jungle and that I might give them children. They are terribly frightened of my race becoming numerous and strong again and making war on them. They do not like war.'
'They are strange beings,' he said. 'But we cannot expect to understand those who do not know the reality of the Forerunner. Moreover, they are closer to the insect than to man.'
'Being a man does not necessarily mean being better,' Jeannette said with a tinge of asperity.
'All God's creatures have their proper place in the universe,' he replied. 'But man's place is everywhere and every when. He can occupy any position in space and can travel in any direction in time. And if he must dispossess a creature to gain that place or time, he is doing only what is right.'
'Quoting the Forerunner?'
'Of course.'
'Perhaps, he is right. Perhaps. But what is man? Man is a sentient being. A wog is a sentient being. Therefore, the wog is a man. Nespfa?'
'Shib or sib, let's not argue. Why don't we eat?'
'I wasn't arguing.