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

She canтАЩt complain about me rattling around looking for things when
itтАЩs all for her. Besides, what I find might be for the good of all of us. Maybe
the whole village.

I look around as fast as I can.

DevilтАЩs claw, squaw tea, wild rose hips.... Acorns! Lots of dried lettucy
sort of stuff. Things a witch would have.

I take pinches of several of those things and put them in my apron
pocket.

The cat watches.

I swear that nasty Tom looks at me like the Devil himself. Who ever
said a witchтАЩs cat had to be black? Seems to me a marmalade color is just
as bad.

Dishes draining in the sink look clean enough. SheтАЩs been up. IтАЩm
sure of it. Or somebody has.

Cat dish on the floor is empty. I whisper, тАЬDonтАЩt expect me to feed
you. Go get yourself a mouse.тАЭ
 I let the water run till itтАЩs cool so I have more time to snoop. (Not that
the waterтАЩs ever cool this time of year.) I bring her a glass and a pitcher of it.

I say, тАЬIтАЩll get you another blanket and a sweater. Nights are cold.тАЭ
And off I go before she can stop me.

There are two small bedrooms across from each other. The dadтАЩs is
still clearly his. ItтАЩs been what? Four, five years since he died? Though why
would she change it and who for? It smells odd. That old hound must be
sleeping in here. I wouldnтАЩt ever let a dog like him inside my house let alone
on a bed.

Her room ... ThereтАЩs the oddest picture on the wall. ItтАЩs a combination
diagram and photo. CanтАЩt be from around here. Jagged cliffs and such. A
waterfall coming right out from the middle of the rocks. A night scene.
Moons galore. Or maybe the same moon at different stages. Lines go back
and forth across it, with numbers and letters that donтАЩt make any sense.

IтАЩve a good mind to ask her where her father came from, and if this
picture on the wall is where. I always did wonder. He had an accent. But I
wonтАЩt ask yet. I donтАЩt want her thinking that IтАЩm thinking things.

I rummage for a sweater. Then I think maybe she wants a clean
blouse and underwear, too. IтАЩm not going to help her get any of those on or
off over her cast. IтАЩll just bring them. EnoughтАЩs enough.

Everything else in the room is perfectly ordinaryтАФnothing fancy there