"Eliot Fintushel - Uxo, Bomb Dog" - читать интересную книгу автора (Fintushel Eliot)

The eyes on those kids were big as pancakes. When they inched close and sat down before me on the
next few steps down, it was as if those big eyes had pulled them there, and their bodies wagged after like
tails. тАЬYouтАЩre shittinтАЩ us,тАЭ one of them said, but his heart wasnтАЩt in it. She longed to hear more, as any
fool could tell. тАЬDogs canтАЩt be soldiers.тАЭ

тАЬYou bet they can, little sister, and my Uxo was the king of them. Back during the wars, they were
drafted and commissioned and decorated or busted - say, if one peed on a generalтАЩs cuff - just like a
human person. And my Uxo was the king of them. Why, he was even awarded the Purple Heart, was my
Uxo.тАЭ

тАЬHe wasnтАЩt.тАЭ

тАЬYou see that scarlet streak the shape of Florida just in front of his left hind leg? Uxo got that down in old
Nick.тАЭ

тАЬThe Anti-contra-contras?тАЭ

тАЬThatтАЩs right. I was handling him, as they say, though the truth is, it goes both ways. Uxo sniffed and I
defused. One time we was out away from our platoon, and Uxo sniffed some old nitre the AntiтАЩs had left
all round a ruined cane field where the cripples played football. Well, a sort of football. If they had two
feet to a half dozen heads, those Nicks were lucky. And old Ux dove away from meтАУzingo!тАУand jumped
on some little-un, knocked him away from a dinger that exploded right under old Ux. Saved that fellowтАЩs
life. Uxo got patched up mostly, brave dog, excepting that spot where the hide shows and the fur never
grew back.
тАЬYes, my Ux was awarded the Purple Heart for that one; he was in the army then, like myself. He was
one of only two dogs that ever got that particular medal, the other being a German Shepard name of
Chips down in Sicily who he bit the hand of Ike once when he tried to pet him, which my Uxo never
would.тАЭ

тАЬIke?тАЭ said a ragamuffin girl, all muscle and grit with an angelтАЩs face.

тАЬEisenhower, dummy.тАЭ A boy in a girdled potato sack puffed out his chest and jutted his chin. He was
unsteady on one leg; where the foot should be there was a lump of old bandage. The thing it covered
would be toeless, I bet. And I bet right - this was the child I would come to know as тАЬSonny.тАЭ
тАЬEisenhower. He was a general and a president.тАЭ

тАЬSmart fellow,тАЭ says I, spitting UxoтАЩs tongue off my mouth. I whistled for Uxo to sit, and, God bless him,
he remembered the melody, two clean chirrups.

тАЬHeтАЩs not your dog, though,тАЭ Sonny pipes up. тАЬWe caught him, we keep him.тАЭ

Mumps and Queenie and the chandelier gang were perched at my back on the steps above me. I hadnтАЩt
noticed them till now. тАЬShut up, Sonny,тАЭ says Queenie. Mumps sat next to her, brushing her friendтАЩs hair
with a dried out teasel head. тАЬTell us some more, Mister.тАЭ

I told them about Angola and the Sudan and Afghanistan and Iraq where me and Uxo soldiered months
and years after the live wars had ended. I was kissing and rubbing and fussing over Uxo the whole time I
was talking, and I noticed the pucker of a scar along his right side. тАЬLook here,тАЭ I said, тАЬGod damn me if
I donтАЩt know what that must be.тАЭ And I told them the story of the lion. I knew what had happened to