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

тАЬWhy not?тАЭ she asked innocently.

Grimly Matt began to apply the brakes.

тАЬAll right,тАЭ she sighed. She wore an expression the early Christians must have worn before they were
marched into the arena. тАЬTurn right at the next crossroad.тАЭ

Chickens scattered in front of the wheels, fluttering and squawking; pigs squealed in a pen beside the
house. Matt stopped in front of the shanty, appalled. If the two rooms and sagging porch had ever
known paint, they had enjoyed only a nodding acquaintance and that a generation before.

A large figure brooded on the porch, rocking slowly in a rickety chair. He was dark, with a full black
beard and a tall head of hair.

тАЬThatтАЩs Paw,тАЭ Abigail whispered.

Matt waited uneasily, but the broad figure of her father kept on rocking as if strangers brought back his
daughter every day.Maybethey do , Matt thought.

тАЬWell,тАЭ he said nervously, тАЬhere you are.тАЭ

тАЬI cainтАЩt get out,тАЭ Abigail said. тАЬNot till I find out if PawтАЩs goinтАЩ to whale me. Go talk to him. See if heтАЩs
mad at me.тАЭ

тАЬNot me,тАЭ Matt said with certainty, glancing again at the big, black figure rocking slowly, ominously
silent. тАЬIтАЩve done my duty in bringing you home. Good-by. I wonтАЩt say itтАЩs been a pleasure knowing
you.тАЭ

тАЬYouтАЩre nice and mighty handsome. IтАЩd hate to tell Paw youтАЩd taken advantage of me. HeтАЩs a terror
when heтАЩs riled.тАЭ

For a horrified moment Matt stared at Abigail. Then, as she opened her mouth, he opened the door and
stepped out. Slowly he walked to the porch and put one foot on its uneven edge.

тАЬUh,тАЭ he said. тАЬI met your daughter on the road.тАЭ

Jenkins kept on rocking.

тАЬSheтАЩd run away,тАЭ Matt went on.

Jenkins was silent. Matt studied the portion of JenkinsтАЩs face that wasnтАЩt covered with hair. There wasnтАЩt
much of it, but what there was Matt didnтАЩt like.

тАЬI brought her back,тАЭ Matt said desperately.

Jenkins rocked and said nothing. Matt spun around and walked quickly back to the car. He went around
to the window where Abigail sat. He reached through the window, opened the glove compartment and
drew out a pint bottle. тАЬRemind me,тАЭ he said, тАЬnever to see you again.тАЭ