"Elgin,.Suzette.Haden.-.Ozark.-.01.-.Twelve.Fair.Kingdoms" - читать интересную книгу автора (Elgin Suzette Haden)

"I agree," I said at once the two minutes were up, "it's all
silly. Even the minors. Not a soul was harmed by any one of
the mirrors that brokeЧincluding you, Emmalyn. Anybody
can smell soured milk quick enough not to drink it, and the
other six days of the week it's been fine. And as for the
streetsigns, which I'm embarrassed I didn't know about them
but there it isЧI didn'tЧthat's silliest of all."

"Just mischief," said Jubal, putting on the period. "Until
today."

My mother flared her perfect nostrils, like a high-bred Mule
but a lot more attractive. "What makes you think, Jubal
Brooks," she demanded, "that today's kidnappingЧwhich is a
matter of major importanceЧis connected in any way with all
these baby tricks of milk and mirrors?"

"And streetsigns," said Emmalyn of Clark. Naturally.

"Jubal's quite right," I said, before Thorn of Guthrie could
mm on Emmalyn. "And I call for Council."

There was a silence that told me I'd reached them, and
Emmalyn looked thoroughly put out- Council meant there'd be
no jokes, and no family bickering, and no pause in deliberation

8 SUZETTE HADEN ELGIN

for coffee or cakes or ak or anything else till a conclusion was
come to and a course agreed upon.

"Do you think that's really called for, Responsible?" asked
my grandmother. She was doing a large panel at that time,
mounungdoves in a field of violets, as I recall. Not that she'd
ever seen a moumingdove. "As Jubal said, it's been mischief
only so fax. and pretty piddling mischief at that. And there's no
evidence / see of a connection between what happened in
church today and all that other foolishness."

"Responsible sees a connection," said Patience, "or she
would not have called Council. And the calling is her privilege
by rule; I suggest we get on with it."

I told them about the Mules then, and both the uncles left off
their beard-pulling and gave me their attention. Tampering
with goats was one thing, tampering with Mules was quite
another: Not that they knew what it meant in terms of magic, of
courseЧthat would not of been suitable, since neither had ever
shown the slightest talent for the profession, and I suppose they
took flying Mules for granted as they did flying birds. But they