"James E. Gunn - The Witching Hour" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gunn James E)

He marched back to the porch. тАЬHow about a drink?тАЭ

One large hand reached out, smothered the pint and brought it close to faded blue overalls. The cap was
twisted off by the other hand. The bottle was tilted toward the unpainted porch ceiling as soon as the
neck disappeared into the matted whiskers. The bottle gurgled. When it was lowered, it was only
half-full.

тАЬWeak,тАЭ the beard said. But the hand that held the bottle held it tight.

тАЬI brought your daughter back,тАЭ Matt said, starting again.

тАЬWhy?тАЭ

тАЬShe had no place to go. I mean тАФ after all, this is her home.тАЭ

тАЬShe run away,тАЭ the beard said. Matt found the experience unnerving.

тАЬI realize that teenage daughters can be annoying, and after meeting your daughter, I think I can
understand how you feel. Still in all, she is your daughter.тАЭ

тАЬGot my doubts.тАЭ

Matt took a deep breath and tried once more. тАЬA happy family demands a lot of compromise, give and
take on both sides. Your daughter may have given you good cause to lose your temper, but beating a
child is never sound psychology. Now, if you тАФтАЭ

тАЬBeat her?тАЭ Jenkins rose from his chair. It was an awesome sight, like Neptune rising out of the sea in all
his majesty, gigantic, bearded and powerful. Even subtracting the six-inch advantage of the porch,
Jenkins loomed several inches over MattтАЩs near six feet. тАЬNever laid a hand to her. DassnтАЩt.тАЭ

My God, thought Matt,the man is trembling!

тАЬCome in here,тАЭ said Jenkins. He waved the pint toward the open door, a dark rectangle. Uneasily Matt
walked into the room. Under his feet things gritted and cracked.

Jenkins lit a kerosene lamp and turned it up. The room was a shambles. Broken dishes littered the floor.
Wooden chairs were smashed and splintered. In the center of the room, a table on its back waved three
rough legs helplessly in the air; the fourth sagged pitifully from its socket.

тАЬShe did this?тАЭ Matt asked weakly.

тАЬThis ainтАЩt nothinтАЩ.тАЭ JenkinsтАЩs voice quavered; it was a terrible sound to come from that massive frame.
тАЬYou should see the other room.тАЭ

тАЬBut, how? I mean тАФwhy? тАЭ

тАЬI ainтАЩt sayinтАЩ Ab done it,тАЭ Jenkins said, shaking his head. His beard wobbled near MattтАЩs nose; Matt
resisted an impulse to sneeze. тАЬBut when she gets onhappy, things happen. And she was powerful
onhappy when that Duncan boy tolтАЩ her he warnтАЩt cominтАЩ back. Them chairs come up from the floor and
slam down. That table went dancinтАЩ round the room till it come a cropper. Them dishes come a-flyinтАЩ