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

kangaroo rex and could fly to boot. When Granddaddy Jason asked him why heтАЩd
gone to the trouble, heтАЩd only shrugged and said, тАЬBest you observe its habits as
well as its genes.тАЭ
The decision on the beastly had been to push it back from the inhabited areas
rather than to shoot on sight. Nasty as it was, it could be driven off by loud sounds
(bronze bells, now that I thought of it!) and it made a specialty of hunting what
passed for rats on Mirabile. Those rats were considerably worse than having to yell
yourself hoarse when you traveled through the plains farmlands.
тАЬIf youтАЩd jogged my memory earlier,тАЭ I said, тАЬI wouldnтАЩt have bothered to check
your credentials with Elly.тАЭ
тАЬAnnie, I didnтАЩt think bragging was in order.тАЭ
тАЬFacts are a little different than brags. Now I can stop worrying about your health
and get down to serious business.тАЭ
Leaving the plaster to harden, I headed him down to the boats. тАЬTwo boats
today, Leonov Opener Denness. You stake out that side of the loch, IтАЩll stake out
this. Much as IтАЩd enjoy your company, this gives us two chances to spot something
and the sooner we get this sorted out, the better itтАЩll be for Elly. Whistle if you spot
anything. Otherwise, IтАЩll meet you back here an hour after dusk.тАЭ
WeтАЩd probably have to do a nighttime wait too, but I was hoping the thing wasnтАЩt
strictly nocturnal. If it was, IтАЩd need more equipment, which meant calling Mike,
which meant making it formal and public.
ThereтАЩs nothing more irritating than waiting for a DragonтАЩs Tooth to rear its ugly
head, even if youтАЩre sure the headтАЩs herbivorous. After all these years, IтАЩm pretty
good at it. Besides, there were otters and odders to watch, and it was one of those
perfect days on Loch Moose. IтАЩd have been out contemplative fishing anyhow. This
just took its toll of watching and waiting, which is not nearly as restful. Somewhere
in the back of my mind, the plesiosaur still swam sinisterly in Loch Ness.
SusanтАЩs odders, as ugly as they were, proved in action almost as much fun as the
otters, though considerably sillier looking. And observation proved her
rightтАФseveral times I saw them dive down and come up with a mouthful of lilies or
clogweed.
A breeze came upтАФone of those lovely ones that Loch Moose is justly famous
forтАФsoft and sweet and smelling of lilies and pine and popcorn tree.
The pines began to smoke. I found myself grateful to the DragonтАЩs Tooth for
putting me on the loch at the right time to see it.
The whole loch misted over with drifting golden clouds of pollen. I could
scarcely see my hand in front of my face. That, of course, was when I heard it. First
a soft thud of hooves, then something easing into the water. Something big. I
strained to see, but the golden mist made it impossible.
I was damned glad Leo had told me his past history, otherwise IтАЩd have worried.
I knew he was doing exactly what I was doing at that momentтАФkeeping dead silent
and listening. I brought up my flare gun in one hand and my snagger in the other.
Even if it was a plesiosaur, a flare right in the face should drive it off. I couldnтАЩt
bring myself to raise the shotgun. Must be IтАЩm mellowing in my old age.
I could still hear the splash and play of the otters and the odders on either side of
me. That was a good sign as well. TheyтАЩd decided it wasnтАЩt a hazard to them.
My nerves were singing, though, as I heard the soft splashing coming toward me.
I turned toward the sound, but still couldnтАЩt see a thing. There was a gurgle, like
water being sucked down a drain, and suddenly I couldnтАЩt locate it by ear anymore.
I guessed it had submerged, but that didnтАЩt do a thing for my nervesтАж