"Carol Emshwiller - At Sixes and Sevens" - читать интересную книгу автора (Emshwiller Carol)

AT SIXES AND SEVENS
by Carol Emshwiller

Carol EmshwillerтАЩs sixth novel, The Secret City, is just out from
Tachyon Publications. It shares the same milieu as her first story for
AsimovтАЩs, тАЬWorlds of No Return,тАЭ which appeared in our January
2006 issue. In a new story for our slightly spooky
October/November issue, she shows us that peril and confusion can
reign when one lives next door to a witch, especially if we arenтАЩt too
clear about which neighbor is the witch.

****

Remember when this used to be an orchard? Some of the trees still live
and still bear fruit. In the yard, the asparagus patch still pushes up stalks in
among the weeds. If youтАЩre careful you can still climb the porch steps
without breaking your neck.

It used to be a nice farm. The old man worked itтАФmostly by himself.
No sons, only a daughter. SheтАЩs a strong one, though, small but wiry.

Now that heтАЩs dead, she keeps it going by herself but she doesnтАЩt
grow what we grow. She grows useless crops of nettles and thistles.
Though I must admit, her strawberries are wonderful, small and flavorful. In
certain seasons, I can smell them from here.

Her Dad was peculiar. Kept to himself.

Poor little motherless child ... she was. My husband and I wanted to
help. Her father wouldnтАЩt let us. Took her wherever he went in a basket at
first. Then made a little harness for her and tied her near him as if she was
a dog. That canтАЩt be good, especially since we were right here, willing to
help.

Later on he put bells on her so he could keep track of where she was.
As if she was the bellwether. Once we saw him climb up to take her down
from the shed roof. Another time it was that big old cottonwood. Part of it
split when he went to rescue her and he nearly broke his neck.

Well, she did grow up, but itтАЩs a wonder.

And a wonder she learned to talk. We never heard him say much
more than grunts.
 He always said he home-schooled her. IтАЩll bet!

Even now that her dadтАЩs dead, she never comes to us for anything. All
she has for company is that big old dog and her cat. Even when she broke
her leg she didnтАЩt want our help. You could tell by the way she looked at us,
though that time, she couldnтАЩt get along without us.