"Janet Kagan - Mirabile" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kagan Janet)

give you a nasty nip from the looks of them, but it was deer family. The ugly branch
of it anyhow.
A second one crawled into LeoтАЩs lap. It was trying to make off with his belt
buckle. Susan chucked at it and bribed it away with bread. тАЬSheтАЩs such a thief. If
youтАЩre not careful, sheтАЩll take anything thatтАЩs shiny. Like the otters, really.тАЭ
Yes, they were. The behavior was the same IтАЩd seen from SusanтАЩs ottersтАФbut
now I understood why the otters had chased one of these away this afternoon. They
were recognizably not otters, even if they thought they were. Like humans, otters are
very conservative about what they consider one of them.
Pretty soon the bread was gone. Monster hustled up the troops and headed them
out, with one last look over his shoulder at us.
I popped him neatly with the snagger before Susan could raise a protest. He
grunted and gnawed for a moment at his hip, the way a dog would for a flea, then he
spotted the snagger moving away from him and pounced.
I had a tug of war on my hands. Susan got into the act and so did a handful of
MonsterтАЩs fellow monsters.
Leo laughed. It was enough to startle them away. I fell over and Susan landed on
top of me. She was giggling too, but she crawled over and got up, triumphant, with
the sample in her hands.
тАЬYou didnтАЩt need it, Mama Jason,тАЭ Susan said, тАЬbut IтАЩve decided to forgive you.
Monster thought it was a good game.тАЭ She giggled again and added impishly, тАЬSo
did I.тАЭ
тАЬFine,тАЭ I said. тАЬI hate to spoil the party, but itтАЩs time we got back to the lodge.
WeтАЩre all going to feel like hell in the morning.тАЭ
Susan yawned. тАЬIтАЩsтАЩpose so. They lose interest pretty fast once I run out of
bread.тАЭ
тАЬSusan, you row Leo back.тАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩre not coming?тАЭ she said.
тАЬTwo boats,тАЭ I pointed out. Susan was sleepy enough that she didnтАЩt ask why I
wanted Leo in her boat. Leo blinked at me once, caught on, and climbed into the
boat with his rifle across his knees.
By the time we reached the lodge, we were all pretty well knocked out. Jen gave
us a big grin of relief to welcome us in. But two steps later we ran hard into EllyтАЩs
scowl, not to mention ChrisтАЩs, IlanithтАЩs, and a half dozens others.
тАЬI found Jen sitting in the hall watching the clock,тАЭ Elly said. тАЬShe wouldnтАЩt go to
bed and she wouldnтАЩt say why. Once I counted noses, I discovered the three of you
were missing. So youтАЭтАФthat was me, of courseтАФтАЬowe me the explanation you
wouldnтАЩt let her give me.тАЭ
тАЬThereтАЩs something in the loch,тАЭ I said. тАЬWe got a sample and IтАЩll check it out
tomorrow. Right now, we all need some sleep.тАЭ
тАЬLiar,тАЭ said Chris. тАЬWhoтАЩs hungry? Midnight snacksтАЭтАФshe glanced at the clock
and correctedтАФтАЬwhatever, foodтАЩs waiting.тАЭ
Everybody obligingly trooped into the kitchen, lured by the smell of chowder. I
followed, knowing this meant I wasnтАЩt going to get off the hook without a full
explanation. That meant no way of covering SusanтАЩs tracks.
We settled down and dived ravenously into the chowder. Chris poured a box of
crackers into a serving tray. тАЬThereтАЩs no bread,тАЭ she said with finality, eying Susan
to let us all know who was responsible for this woeful state of affairs.
Susan squirmed. тАЬNext time IтАЩll take them crackers. They like your bread better,
though.тАЭ