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

тАЬHave you been up?тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩve crawled around a little.тАЭ

тАЬPoor child. What can I do for you before I go?тАЭ

I do want to be kind. I always like to help.

тАЬWould you feed the cat? And make sure he has water? Please.тАЭ

SheтАЩs asking this deliberately. Is it some kind of a test? She hasnтАЩt
asked me to do anything before. Not even once. For sure only a witch
would ask me to do that, knowing what that cat thinks of me.

Should I do it or not? Or should I poison him right now? But with
what?

I wonтАЩt do it. Neither one, neither feed nor poison.

тАЬIтАЩm afraid I must be off.тАЭ

I hurry away, all shaky. What am I thinking? A spell is one thing, but
poison? Yes, but that look in his eyes. As if he knows all about me.

****

I dance that night yet again ... even though nothing seems to be
happening over there. This time I sing and beat time on an old jar. I have
even more fun than the other nights.

And then I look up and see Daniel at the window staring down at me.

I stop and just stand there, breathing hard, and here he comes, out
the back door.

тАЬWhat in the world?тАЭ And, тАЬNo wonder youтАЩre tired.тАЭ HeтАЩs angry.
тАЬWhatтАЩs got into you? The house is a mess and the cooking is lousy, and
here you are enjoying yourself in the middle of the night.тАЭ

I start to say that IтАЩm not enjoying myself, but I realize I am. In lots of
ways. I love to dance and I have this purpose ... to save us all from the
drought. IтАЩm helping people.

тАЬCome back to bed.тАЭ He takes my hand. He doesnтАЩt look so angry
now. тАЬIтАЩll make you some chamomile tea. YouтАЩre shaking.тАЭ

Even with the tea, it takes me a long time to calm down and go back
to sleep. I lie there thinking about that cat. Spells and dancing donтАЩt seem to
be working. IтАЩm going to have to find a better way.