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

though I vowed not to. He looked me up and down and back and forth. I
never saw the like. I felt kind of shaky afterwards.

тАЬWhat did you say this catтАЩs name is?тАЭ
 тАЬWe just call him Red.тАЭ

We? Who does she mean, we? Or did they have him back when her
father was still around?

How about I get rid of that cat first? IтАЩll talk in tongues and make up a
dance and a spell.... I wonтАЩt do anything like put out poison or set a trap. IтАЩll
dance for a pleasant easy deathтАФin the middle of a happy dream.

****

I do it. I dance and dance. Actually I havenтАЩt had so much fun since
Daniel and I went dancing when we first married. Daniel has been too busy
to even think of dancing. Besides, I donтАЩt think he ever liked it. I talk a crazy
language all my own. Or maybe itтАЩs Romanian or some sort of gypsy
language. How would I know? But whatever it is, it comes easily.

****

In the morning, everythingтАЩs at sixes and sevens. Lunch isnтАЩt even
begun and laundry not done. I donтАЩt wake up till around ten ... ten for
heavenтАЩs sake! Daniel comes in to see how I am and IтАЩm not even up yet.
He thinks IтАЩm really sick. He says, again, how pale I look and that I have
circles under my eyes. He brings me toast and chamomile tea and tells me
to stay in bed, which IтАЩm happy to do. I lie there and doze and think. Ditties
and sayings keep rolling around in my head. Proof of the pudding, Catch as
catch can, CatтАЩs out of the bag, Willy nilly, and such. I think IтАЩm a natural at ...
IтАЩm not sure what, spells I guess.

Then I remember the things I pinched off and put in my apron pocket.
I get up and check on them. Crumble them. Mix them all together and boil
them up. I figure, since I donтАЩt know what IтАЩm doing anyway, might as well
use them all. I could tell one was just catnip, but who knows, catnip might
be magic. Besides, thereтАЩs that cat.

I taste them. Ugh. I put whatтАЩs left in the icebox. Strange, but even that
little sip made me feel a lot better. I was just dragging myself around.
Maybe IтАЩll keep the brew for when I need energy.

****

So far nothing has happened to that cat. I went over there special to
take a look. I brought some leftover hamburger. There she was, lying there
as usual, and there was that cat. If cats can give the evil eye, that cat is
doing it. I donтАЩt even try to match it stare-to-stare anymore.