"Gordon R. Dickson - Time Storm" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

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"Cat!" I raved at him. "What the. hell's got Into yon now?"
But of course, having said his piece and already gotten her to let him go, Sunday was now feeling
just fine. He lay there, completely self-possessed, cleaning the fur on the back of his right
forepaw with his tongue. Only, the girl was huddled up into a tight little ball that looked as if
it never intended to come unwound again; and that made me lose my temper.
I cuffed Sunday; and he cringed, putting his head down as I crawled over him to get to the girl. A
second later I felt his rough tongue rasping on my left ankle in a plea for forgivenessтАФfor what
he did not even understand. And that made me angry all over again, because fflogical-ry, now, I
was the one who felt guilty. He was literally insane where I was concerned. I knew it, and yet I
bad taken advantage of that to knock him around, knowing I was quite safe in doing so when
otherwise he could have had my throat out in two seconds as easy as yawning.
But I was only human myself, I told myself; and here I had the girl to unwind again. She was still


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in her ball, completely unyielding, afl elbows and rigid muscle when I put my hands on her. I had
told myself I had no real feeling for her, any more man I had for Sunday. But somehow, for some
reason I had never understood, it always damn near broke my heart when she went like that My
younger sister had had moments of withdrawal something Hke thatтАФbefore she grew out of diem. I bad
guessed this girl to be no more than fifteen or sixteen at die most, and she had not said a word
since the day I found her wandering by the road. But she had taken to Sunday from the moment I had
led her back to the truck and she first laid eyes on him. Now, it was as if he was the only living
thing in the world for her; and when he snarled at her like that, it seemed to hit her like being
rejected by everyone who had ever loved her, all at once.
I had been through a number of crises Hke this one with her beforeтАФthough the others bad not been
so obviously Sunday's faultтАФand I knew that mere was nothing much to be done with her until she
began to relax. So I sat down and wrapped my arms around her, cuddling her as close as her
rigidness would allow, and began to try to talk her out of it The sound of my voice seemed to
help.
TIME STORM 3 **
although at that time she would never show any kind of direct response to it, except to follow
orders.
So, there I sat, on the mattresses and blankets in the back of the panel truck, with my arms
around her narrow body that was more sharp bones than anything else, talking to her and telling
her over and over again ft at Sunday wasn't mad at her; he was just a crazy cat, and she should
pay no attention when he snarled, except to leave him alone for a while. After a while I got tired
of repeating the same words and tried singing to herтАФany song that I could remember. I was aware
it was no great performance. I may have believed at mat time that I was hell on wheels at a number
of things, but I knew singing was not one of them. I had a voice to scare bullfrogs. However, that
had never seemed to matter with the girt It was keeping up the human noise and holding her that
helped. Meanwhile, all the time this was going on, Sunday had crept up as close to us as he could
and had his fore-paws around my left ankle, his forehead butted against my knee.
So, after a while, illogically, I reached down and patted his head, which he took as forgiveness.
I was a complete fool for both of them, in some ways. Shortly after that, the girl began to stir.
The stiffness went out of her. Her arms and legs extended themselves; and without a word to me she
pulled away, crawled off and put her arms around Sunday. He suffered it, even licking at her face
with his tongue. I unkinked my own cramped muscles and wem back up front to the driver's seat of