"Baker, Kage - Son Observe the Time" - читать интересную книгу автора (Baker Kage)

OТNeil groaned. "Your mother is right, Donal. Daddy and Mummy donТt have the money for the tickets, can you understand that?"

"You oughtnТt to have read out that bill," said Mary in a quiet voice.

"I want go see the Soldier!"

"Donal, hush now!"

"DonalТs the boy for me," I said, leaning forward and reaching out to him. "Look, Donal Og, whatТs this youТve got in your ear?"

I pretended to pull forth a bar of GhirardelliТs. Ella clapped her hands to her mouth. Donal stopped crying and stared at me with perfectly round eyes.

"Look at that! Would you ever have thought such a little fellowТd have such big things in his ears? Come sit with your Uncle Jimmy, Donal." I drew him onto my lap. "And if you hush your noise, perhaps Mummy and DaddyТll let you have sweeties, eh?" I set the candy in the midst of the oilcloth, well out of his reach.

"Bless you, Jimmy," said OТNeil.

"Well, and isnТt it the least I can do? DidnТt know I could work magic, did you, Ella?"

"Settle down, now." Mary set out the dishes. "Frank, itТs time to say Grace."

OТNeil made the sign of the Cross and intoned, with the little ones mumbling along, "Bless-us-O-Lord-and-these-Thy-gifts-which-we-are-about-to-receive-from-Thy-bounty-through-Christ-Our-Lord-Amen."

Mary sat down with us, unfolding her threadbare napkin. "Donal, come sit with Mummy."

"Be easy, Mrs. OТNeil, I donТt mind him." I smiled at her. "IТve a little brother at home heТs the very image of. WhereТs his spoon? Here, Donal Og, you eat with me."

"I donТt doubt they look alike." OТNeil held out his tumbler as Mary poured from a pitcher of milk. "Look at you and me. Do you know, Mary, that was the first acquaintance we hadЦ? Got our hats mixed up when the wind blew Тem both off. We wear just the same size."

"Fancy that."

So we dined, and an affable mortal man helped little Donal make a mess of his potatoes whilst chatting with Mr. and Mrs. OТNeil about such subjects as the dreadful expense of living in San Francisco and their plans to remove to a cheaper, less crowded place as soon as theyТd saved enough money. The immortal machine that sat at their table was making a thorough examination of Donal, most subtly: an idle caress of his close-cropped little head measured his skull size, concealed devices gauged bone length and density and measured his weight to the pound; data was analyzed and preliminary judgment made: Optimal Morphology. Augmentation Process Possible. Classification pending Blood Analysis and Spektral Diagnosis.

"ThatТs the best meal IТve had in this country, Mrs. OТNeil," I told her as we rose from the table.

"How kind of you to say so, Mr. Kelly," she replied, collecting the dishes.

"Chocolate, Daddy?" Donal stretched out his arm for it. OТNeil tore open the waxed paper and broke off a square. He divided it into two and gave one to Donal and one to Ella.

"Now, you must thank your Uncle Jimmy, for this is good chocolate and cost him dear."

"Thank you Uncle Jimmy," they chorused, and Ella added, "But he got it by magic. It came out of DonalТs ear. I saw it."

OТNeil rubbed his face wearily. "No, Ella, it was only a conjuring trick. Remember the talk we had about such things? It was just a trick. WasnТt it, Jimmy?"

"ThatТs all it was, sure," I agreed. She looked from her father to me and back.

"Frank, dear, will you help me with these?" Mary had stacked the dishes in a washpan and sprinkled soap flakes in.

"Right. Jimmy, will you mind the kids? WeТre just taking these down to the tap."