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

Loch Moose was the only source of freshwater shrimp on Mirabile, and they were
one of my triumphs. Not just the way they tasted when Chris got done with them,
but because IтАЩd brought the water lilies they came from myself and planted them
down in Loch Moose on the chance theyтАЩd throw off something good. Spent three
years making sure they stabilized. Got some pretty dragonflies out of that
redundancy, too. EllyтАЩs kids use тАЩem for catching rock lobsters, which is another
thing Chris cooks to perfection.
By the time IтАЩd finished my shrimp, the dining room was empty except for a
couple of people I knew to be locals like Leo. I blinked my surprise, I guess.
Leo said, тАЬMost of the guests checked out this morning. LetтАЩs take advantage of
it.тАЭ He picked up my glass and his own and bowed me toward one of the empty
booths.
I followed and sank, sighing, into overstuffed comfort. тАЬNow,тАЭ I said, тАЬtell me
what you heard from Stirzaker and Pastides.тАЭ
He obliged in detail, playing both roles. When he was done, I appreciated his
reputation for story telling, but I knew as well heтАЩd given me an accurate account,
right down to the two of them tripping over each otherтАЩs words in their excitement.
Their description of the chimera would have scared the daylights out of meтАФ if
theyтАЩd been able to agree on any given part of it aside from the size. Stirzaker had
seen the thing reach for him with two great clawlike hands. Pastides had seen the
loops of a water snake, grown to unbelievable lengths, undulate past him. They
agreed again only when it came to the creatureтАЩs bellow.
When all was said, I had to laugh. тАЬI bet their granddaddy told them scary
bedtime stories too!тАЭ
тАЬGood God,тАЭ said Leo, grinning suddenly. тАЬThe Loch Ness monster! I should
have recognized it!тАЭ
тАЬFrom which description?тАЭ I grinned back. Luckily the question didnтАЩt require an
answer.
тАЬMama Jason!тАЭ
That was all the warning I got. SusanтАФall hundred pounds of herтАФpounced into
my lap.
тАЬThey were dumbstruck, both of them,тАЭ she said, her manner making it clear that
this was the most important news of the century. тАЬYou should have seen them eat!
Tell her, NoisyтАФyou saw!тАЭ
тАЬHello to you too,тАЭ I said, тАЬand I just got the full story, complete with sound
effects.тАЭ
That settled her down a bit, but not much. At sixteen, nothing settles them down.
Sliding into the seat beside me, she said, тАЬNow you tellтАФabout the biting
cockroaches.тАЭ
Well, IтАЩd have had to tell that one sooner or later, so I told it for two, ending with
MikeтАЩs heroic attempt to rescue the red daffodils.
SusanтАЩs eyes went dreamy. тАЬFireflies,тАЭ she said. тАЬThink how pretty theyтАЩd be
around the lake at night!тАЭ
тАЬI was,тАЭ I said, all too curtly. тАЬSorry,тАЭ I amended, тАЬIтАЩm still pissed off about
them.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩve got another one for you,тАЭ Susan said, matching my scowl. тАЬRowena who
lives about twenty miles that wayтАЭтАФshe pointed, glanced at Leo (who nudged her
finger about 5 degrees left), then went onтАФтАЬthat way, claims that the only way to
keep from raising DragonтАЩs Teeth is to spit tobacco on your plants whenever you go
past them.тАЭ She gave another glance at Leo, this one a different sort of query. тАЬI