"Nicola Griffith - Yaguara" - читать интересную книгу автора (Griffith Nicola)

The forest was hot and close. The light was going rapidly.
Jane plodded along, dragging Cleis behind her like a sled.
Two-thirds of the way down the trail, Ixbalum was there,
standing in the leaf shadow, eyes invisible. Eyes. Cameras. DonтАЩt think
about it. тАЬHelp me.тАЭ She did not know if Ixbalum understood or, if
she did, whether she cared. тАЬPlease.тАЭ
Ixbalum turned and said something over her shoulder. Two
men with the same sloping foreheads and close-set eyes of figures
depicted in thousand-year-old glyphs stepped from behind her.
тАЬBe careful,тАЭ Jane said, half to Ixbalum, half to the men. тАЬHer
armтАЩs broken.тАЭ
Ixbalum gestured for Jane to move aside. Jane stayed where
she was. If she could just keep hold of the belt that connected her
to Cleis she would not feel naked. тАЬShe might have hurt her head,
too.тАЭ The men stepped around her. One gently pried the belt from
JaneтАЩs hand.
тАЬIt was a jaguar,тАЭ Cleis suddenly said, very clearly.
тАЬWhatтАФтАЭ But they were picking Cleis up and Jane had to
scramble to follow them down the trail.


The tallow candle flickered and sent shadows dancing over
CleisтАЩs sleeping face. On her chair by the bed, Jane huddled deeper
into the coarse cotton wrap that Ixbalum had held out to her
without comment, and tried to stay awake. She felt feverish with
too much sun and alcohol and fatigue, and she wondered when
Ixbalum would be back.
Cleis opened her eyes. тАЬThis isnтАЩt our shack.тАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩre in IxbalumтАЩs house. How do you feel?тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt know yet. Confused. What happened?тАЭ
тАЬA wall fell on you. About eight hours ago. DonтАЩt move your
arm. ItтАЩs splinted.тАЭ
тАЬBroken?тАЭ Jane nodded. Cleis closed her eyes. Opened them.
тАЬHelp me sit up.тАЭ She hissed with pain when Jane lifted her. тАЬFeel
like IтАЩve been run over by a truck.тАЭ She wrinkled her nose. тАЬWhatтАЩs
that terrible smell?тАЭ
тАЬSome salve or other Ixbalum put on your shoulder. You
have some bad cuts.тАЭ
тАЬOn my left shoulder?тАЭ She seemed tense. Jane nodded. That
answer did not seem to please her. тАЬAnything else?тАЭ
 тАЬJust bruises.тАЭ
тАЬWhere?тАЭ
тАЬLegs, mainly.тАЭ
тАЬNoтАж blood?тАЭ
тАЬExcept from your arm, no.тАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩre sure?тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩm sure.тАЭ
Tears ran, sudden and silent, down CleisтАЩs cheeks. Jane looked
around; there was nothing in IxbalumтАЩs hut that might do as a
tissue.