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

until I can check my sample.тАЭ
He spread his hands. тАЬAt least I know itтАЩs not a plesiosaur.тАЭ
I had the urge againтАФand found the laughter had worn down to hiccupping
giggles.
When we got to the lodge, I didnтАЩt have to yell for themтАФwe got surrounded the
moment we hit the porch. Elly did a full body check on both of us, which meant she
wound up as pollen-covered as we were.
тАЬSusan,тАЭ I said through the chaos of a dozen questions at once, тАЬrun that for me.
LetтАЩs see what weтАЩve got.тАЭ I held out the sample.
тАЬMe?тАЭ Susan squeaked.
тАЬYou,тАЭ I said. I took LeoтАЩs arm, well above the rifle, and said, тАЬWe want some
eats, and then I want to see SusanтАЩs results from this morning.тАЭ
I cued the computer over a bowl of steaming chowder, calling up the odder
sample Susan had been working on. SheтАЩd found some stuff in the twists all right.
All the possibilities were herbivorous, though, and I was betting that one of them
would match my silly-looking friend in the loch. I giggled again, IтАЩm afraid. I had a
pretty good idea what we were dealing with, but I had to be sure before I let those
kids back out on the loch.
By the time weтАЩd finished our chowder, Susan had come charging down the
stairs. She punched up the results on my monitorтАФshe was not just fast, she was
good.
I called up shipтАЩs records and went straight to my best guess. At a glance, we had
a match but I went through gene by gene and found the one drift.
тАЬItтАЩs a match!тАЭ Ilanith crowed from behind me. тАЬFirst try, too, Mama Jason!тАЭ
Everybody focused on the monitor. тАЬLook again, kiddo. Only ninety-nine percent
match.тАЭ I pointed out the drifted genes. тАЬThose mean it can eat your popcorn trees
without so much as a stomach upset.тАЭ
Ilanith said, тАЬThatтАЩs okay with me. Elly? Do you mind?тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt know,тАЭ Elly said. тАЬWhat is it, Annie? Can we live with it?тАЭ
 I called up shipsтАЩ records on the behavior patterns of the authentic creature and
moved aside to let Elly have a look. тАЬI suspect youтАЩll all have to carry LeoтАЩs secret
weapon when you go down to the loch to fish or swim, but other than that I donтАЩt
see much of a problem.тАЭ
Leo thumped me on the back. тАЬDamn you, woman, what is it?тАЭ
EllyтАЩd gotten a film that might have been my creatureтАЩs twin. She looked taken
aback at first, then she too giggled. тАЬThatтАЩs the silliest thing IтАЩve seen in years!
Come on, Annie, what is it?тАЭ
тАЬHoney, Loch Moose has got its first moose.тАЭ
тАЬNo!тАЭ Leo shouted, but he followed it with a laugh as he crowded in with the rest
to look at the screen.
Only Susan wasnтАЩt laughing. She caught my hand and pulled me down to
whisper, тАЬWill they let us keep it if itтАЩs only ninety-nine percent? ItтАЩs not good for
anything, like the odders are.тАЭ
I patted her hand. тАЬItтАЩs good for a laugh. I say itтАЩs a keeper.тАЭ I was not about to
let this go the way of the kangaroo rex.
тАЬNow I understand why I found her in that state,тАЭ Leo was saying. He pointed
accusingly at me. тАЬThis woman was laughing so hard she could scarcely catch her
breath.тАЭ
тАЬYou didnтАЩt see the damn thing crowned with water lilies and chewing on them
while it contemplated the oddity in the boat. YouтАЩd have been as helpless as I was.тАЭ