"Alan Dean Foster - For Love Of Mother-Not" - читать интересную книгу автора (Foster Alan Dean)

УBe that your last name or your first?Ф
He shook his head slowly, his expression unhappy. УMother, I donТt know. ItТs what they called me.Ф
УWhat СtheyТ called ye. Who be СtheyТ? YourФ-she hesitated-Уmother? Your father?ТФ
Again, the slow sad shake of the head, red curls dancing. УI donТt have a mother or a father. ItТs what the people called me.Ф
УWhat people?Ф
УThe people who watched over me and the other children.Ф
Now that was strange. She frowned. УOther children? Ye have brothers and sisters, then?Ф
УI donТtФ-he strained to remember-УI donТt think so. Maybe they were. I donТt know. They were just the other children. I remember them from the early time. It was a strange time.Ф
УWhat was so strange about it?Ф
УI was happy.Ф
She nodded once, as though she understood. УSo. Ye remember an early time when you were happy and there were lots of other children living with you.Ф
He nodded vigorously. УBoys and girls both. And we had everything we could want, everything we asked for. All kinds of good food and toys to play with and . . .Ф
A wealthy family brought to ruin, perhaps. She let him ramble on about the early time, the happy time, a while longer. What catastrophe had overtaken the boy in infancy?
УHow big was this family?Ф she asked. УWeТll call it your family for now. How many other boys and girls were there?Ф
УI donТt remember exactly. Lots.Ф
УCan you count?Ф
УOh, sure,Ф he said proudly. УTwo, three, four, five, and lots more than that.Ф
Sounded like more than just a family, though an extend-ed family could not be ruled out, she knew. УDo ye remember what happened to them, and to you? Ye were all happy, and ye had lots of friends, and then something happened.Ф
УThe bad people came,Ф he whispered, his expression turning down. УVery bad people. They broke into where we lived. The people who watched us and fed us and gave us toys fought the bad people. There was lots of noise and guns going off and-and people fell down all around me. Good people and bad people both. I stood and cried until somebody picked me up and carried me away. They carried me down lots of halls and dark places, and I remember getting into some kind of a-car?Ф
She nodded approvingly. УProbably. Go on, boy.Ф
УI was moved around a lot. That was the end of the happy time.Ф
УWhat happened after that?Ф she prompted him.
УIТm not sure,Ф he said slowly. УItТs so hard to remember.Ф
УI know Сtis painful for ye, Flinx. I need to know all about ye that I can, so I can help ye as best as IТm able.Ф
УIf I tell you,Ф he asked uncertainly, Уyou wonТt let the bad people come and take me away?Ф
УNo,Ф she said, her voice suddenly soft. УNo, I wonТt let them come and take ye away, Flinx. I wonТt let anyone come and take ye away. Ever. I promise ye that.Ф
He moved a little nearer and sat down on the extended leg support of the big chair. He had his eyes closed as he concentrated.
УI remember never staying in one place for very long at a time. The people, the good people who took care of me and fed me, they kept the bad people away. They were al-ways upset about something, and they yelled at me a lot more than before.Ф
УWere they mad at ye?Ф
УI donТt think so. Not really.Ф He licked his lips. УI think they were scared. Mother. I know I was, but I think they were, also. And thenФ-a look of confusion stole over his face-УI went to sleep. For a long time. Only, it wasnТt really a sleep. It was like I was asleep and yet like I wasnТt.Ф He opened his eyes and looked up at her. УDo you understand that. Mother? I donТt.Ф
УNo, IТm not sure I do, boy.Ф Her mind worked. Now who, she wondered, would take the time and trouble to sedate a child for a long period of time? And why bother?
УThen some more bad people suddenly showed up, I think,Ф he went on. УI didnТt see them this time. But some of the people who watched me died or went away. Then there was just me and one man and one lady, and then they were gone, too.Ф
УYour mother and father?Ф
УNo, I donТt think so,Ф he told her. УAnyway, they never called themselves that. They were just two of the good people. Then some other people came and found me. People IТd never seen before. They took me away with them.Ф
УWere they good people or bad people?Ф
УI donТt think they were either,Ф the boy replied care-fully. УI think they were kind of in-between people. I think maybe they were sorry for me. They tried to be nice, butФ-he shrugged-Уthey were just in-between people. They moved me around a lot again, and there were different places and lots of new children I didnТt know, and then there was yesterday, and you bought me. Right?Ф
She put a hand to her mouth and coughed. УI didnТt buy ye, actually. I agreed to take responsibility for ye.Ф
УBut you paid the government money for me, didnТt you? I was told that was what was going to happen to me.Ф
УIt was only to pay off the debt the government incurred for taking care of ye,Ф she explained to him. УI donТt actually own ye. I would never do that.Ф
УOh,Ф he said quietly. УThatТs nice. IТm glad.Ф He waited a moment, watching her, then added, УThatТs everything I can remember.Ф
УYe did fine.Ф She leaned forward and pointed to her right, up the street. The chair groaned. УIf ye walk six stalls that way, yell find a very small shop run by a mur man. His name be Cheneth. Go up to him and tell him who ye be and where ye came from. And ye can buy from himФ-she thought a moment, not wishing to overdo things-Уa half creditТs worth of whatever ye see in his shop.Ф
УWhat kind of shop is it?Ф he asked excitedly.
УCandy,Ф she said, enjoying the light that came into his face. УYe remember what candy is, donТt ye? I can see by the expression on your face that ye do.Ф She could also tell by the speed with which he took off up the street. He was back before long, those deep emerald eyes shining from his dark face. УThank you. Mother.Ф
УGo on, go on, move to one side! YouТre blocking my-our-view of the customers. Wander about, learn the ins and outs of where ye live now.Ф
He vanished like a ray of sunshine, his red hair disappearing into the crowd.
Expensive, she thought to herself. That boyТs going to be expensive to raise. How by the ringaps did I ever let myself fall into this? She grumbled silently for another several minutes until a potential customer appeared.

Flinx learned rapidly. He was undemonstrative, highly adaptable, and so quiet she hardly knew when he was around. Soon he was amazing her with his knowledge of the layout and workings of the marketplace and even the greater city beyond. He worked constantly on expanding his store of information, badgering shopkeepers with persistent questions, refusing to take УI donТt knowФ for an answer.
Mother Mastiff put no restrictions on him. No one had ever told her it was improper to give an eight-year-old the run of a city as wild as Drallar. Never having raised a child before, she could always plead ignorance, and since he returned dutifully every night, unscathed and unharmed, she saw no reason to alter the practice despite the clucking disapproval of some of her neighbors.
УThatТs no way to handle a boy of an age that tender,Ф they admonished her. УIf youТre not careful, youll lose him. One night, he wonТt come home from these solo forays.Ф