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

old records tell me), the pandemonium I found would have been enough to kick off
DragonтАЩs Teeth by the dozens.
 Amid the chaos, Ilanith, EllyтАЩs next-to-oldest-not-yet-grown, was handling the
oversized gilt ledger with great dignity. She lit up when she saw me and waved. Then
she bent down for whispered conversation. A second later Jen, the nine-year-old,
exploded from behind the desk, bellowing, тАЬElleeeeee! Noiseeeeee! Come quick!
Mama JasonтАЩs here!тАЭ The kidтАЩs lung power cut right through the chaos and startled
the room into a momentary hush. She charged through the door to the dining room,
still trying to shout the house down.
I took advantage of the distraction to elbow my way to the desk and Ilanith.
She squinted a little at me, purely Elly in manner, and said, тАЬBet you got hopped
on by a kangaroo rex this week. YouтАЩre real snarly.тАЭ
тАЬCanтАЩt do anything about my face,тАЭ I told her. тАЬAnd it was biting cockroaches.тАЭ I
pushed up a sleeve to show her the bites.
тАЬBleeeeeh,тАЭ she said, with an inch or two of tongue for emphasis. тАЬI hope they
werenтАЩt keepers.тАЭ
тАЬJust the six I saved to put in your bed. WouldnтАЩt want you to think IтАЩd forgotten
you.тАЭ
She wrinkled her nose at me and flung herself across the desk to plant a big
sloppy kiss on my cheek. тАЬMama Jason, you are the worldтАЩs biggest tease. But IтАЩm
gonna give you your favorite room anyhowтАЭтАФshe wrinkled her nose in a very
different fashion at the couple to my rightтАФтАЬsince those two just checked out of it.тАЭ
One of the those two peered at me like a myopic crane. I saw recognition strike,
then he said, тАЬWeтАЩve changed our minds. WeтАЩll keep the room.тАЭ
тАЬToo late,тАЭ said IlanithтАФand she was smug about it. тАЬBut, if you want to stay, I
can give you one on the other side of the lodge. No view.тАЭ Score one for the good
guys, I thought.
тАЬSee, Elly?тАЭ It was Jen, back at a trot beside Elly and dragging Noisy behind her.
тАЬSee?тАЭ Jen said again. тАЬIf Mama JasonтАЩs here, I wonтАЩt have to go away, right?тАЭ
тАЬRight,тАЭ I said.
тАЬOh, Jen!тАЭ Elly dropped to one knee to pull Jen into one of her full-body-check
hugs. тАЬIs that whatтАЩs been worrying you? Leo already explained to your mom.
ThereтАЩs no monster. NobodyтАЩs going to send you away from Loch Moose!тАЭ
Jen, whoтАЩd been looking relieved, suddenly looked suspicious. тАЬIf thereтАЩs no
monster, whyтАЩs Mama Jason here?тАЭ
тАЬNeed a break,тАЭ I said, realizing I meant it. Seeing Elly and the kids was break
enough all by itself. тАЬStomped enough DragonтАЩs Teeth this week. IтАЩm not about to
go running after monsters that vanish at the first breath of fresh air.тАЭ
Elly gave me a smile that would have thawed a glacier and my shoulders relaxed
for the first time in what seemed like months.
I grinned back. тАЬHave your two monster-sighters sobered up yet?тАЭ
 тАЬSobered up,тАЭ reported Ilanith, тАЬand checked out.тАЭ She giggled. тАЬYou should
have seen how red-faced they were, Mama Jason.тАЭ
I glowered at no one in particular. тАЬJust as well. After the day I had, theyтАЩd have
been twice as red if IтАЩd had to deal with тАЩem.тАЭ
Elly rose to her feet, bringing Jen with her. The two of them looked me over, Jen
imitating EllyтАЩs keen-eyed inspection. тАЬWeтАЩd better get Mama Jason to her room.
She needs a shower and a nap worse than any kid in the household.тАЭ
Ilanith shook her head. тАЬLet her eat first, Elly. By the time sheтАЩs done, weтАЩll have
her room ready.тАЭ