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

I always bring something as an excuse. This time I brought apple
turnovers. Same apples. My turnovers are good, too.

I take my time looking around again. There are some books in a
different language. Those are probably exactly what I need, if only I could
read them. I steal a small one. Put it in my pocket. It has diagrams. I might
be able to figure something out.

I meet her and the puppy coming in just as IтАЩm leaving. By the looks,
sheтАЩs been out crying over the graves of Red and Howie.

тАЬI left you an apple turnover,тАЭ I say, тАЬand I ate one of your tarts. I hope
you donтАЩt mind.тАЭ

I think, so there, if itтАЩs full of love potions then youтАЩre in for it from both
of us. But she doesnтАЩt seem upset, and, anyway, I donтАЩt feel any different.

****

Later Daniel comes homeтАФfrom the wrong direction again. He looks
glum. Or maybe just thoughtful. I feed him a whole batch of cooked up
greens from IrisтАЩs house. I have no idea what they are.

That night he has really bad diarrhea. HeтАЩs up and down so much I
donтАЩt have a chance to go out and dance or do any such thing. And then
here he is home all day. He doesnтАЩt complain, he never does, but I can see
heтАЩs feeling terrible. I think of going over to ask Iris if she has any sort of
herb that would help him, except that would let her know I was on to her.

I donтАЩt very often cook up a mess of greens. Daniel is looking at me
with suspicion as if he thinks I was trying to poison him. When I make him
tea, I think he gets rid of it on the African violets.

Later, sick as he is, he goes over to IrisтАЩs, and not even with food or
anything as an excuse. He just goes. He stays a long time, too. At twilight I
start over to see whatтАЩs up but I meet him on his way home. He says heтАЩs
not hungry for any supper.

All right, thatтАЩs it then. Tomorrow is Sunday. We donтАЩt go to church
that much, but IтАЩm going and IтАЩm telling everybody that Iris is, for sure, a
witch and that Daniel is in it with her and that this whole drought thing is their
fault.

Daniel falls asleep in his easy chair. HeтАЩs exhausted. I wonder if itтАЩs
from getting up and down all night long or is there another reason. To think I
used to look at that dark, brooding face of his and think it was romantic.
Now look at him, hair hanging over his eyes, shirt all sweated up.... I
wouldnтАЩt want to kiss those cheeks, him badly needing a shave. How could
Iris do that?