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

тАЬShe even had me put flowers in the grave and old bones and a book
that belonged to her father. She had an antique necklace, and she put it
around the dogтАЩs neck. I know how she feels. Remember when little Mitzie
died?тАЭ

тАЬItтАЩs not the same. Mitzie was a big help to you.тАЭ

тАЬShe sure could move cows.тАЭ

Too bad about that quilt. All that handwork gone for a dog. I donтАЩt say
it, though. Daniel looks as if he thinks itтАЩs perfectly all right. I suppose thatтАЩs
just like a man.

****

Daniel is so bothered he doesnтАЩt eat much supper and drinks too
much coffee. And I never saw a person shake their head тАЬno,тАЭ so much. I
donтАЩt think IтАЩll be able to dance this night. He wonтАЩt be sleeping well. And all
because of a no-good lumpy dog that didnтАЩt even belong to us.

I do sleep well though Daniel doesnтАЩt. I hear him get up. I see him
standing, looking out the window towards IrisтАЩs house. ItтАЩs a moonless night
so there canтАЩt be anything to see. I feel a yearning to be out dancing and
chanting but IтАЩll just have to wait for Daniel to stop his worrying. And IтАЩll have
to stop dancing so close to the house. Maybe it would be better if I did it
nearer to IrisтАЩs place. That old orchard in the moonlight! With all those
half-dead broken down trees....

****

Daniel is way ahead of me. He finds a puppy in town. A stray that
ended up at the feed store. Nobody knows what kind it is or how big itтАЩll get.
He brings it here first and asks me how I think sheтАЩll like it. ItтАЩs been
mistreated and needs a good home.

тАЬLook,тАЭ he says. тАЬSomebody hit him on the head and ruined his eye.
See the scar? And his ear is torn.тАЭ

None of that makes him very nice to look at, but I donтАЩt say so.

He bought a big bag of dog food and a bowl that says DOG on it. And
he also got her some crutches.

тАЬHow much did all this cost?тАЭ

тАЬItтАЩs maybe too soon for a new dog, but he needs somebody and itтАЩll
be good for her to take him in.тАЭ

Then he looks at me in a odd way as if maybe it would be even better