"Henry Kuttner - Don't Look Now" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kuttner Henry)

bottom it gave one bound, climbed up my face, sprang from the top of my head, and there it was again on the roof,
screaming for me to get it down."

"What?" the brown man demanded with pardonable curiosity.

"My cat, of course. What did you think? No, never mind, don't answer that." Lyman's face was turned to the brown
man's, but from the corners of his eyes he was watching an invisible progress down the length of the bar toward a
booth at the very back.

"Now why did he come in?" he murmured. "I don't like this. Is he anyone you know?"

"Is whoтАФ?"

"That Martian. Yours, by any chance? No, I suppose not. Yours was probably the one who went out a while ago. I
wonder if he went to make a report, and sent this one in? It's possible. It could be. You can talk now, but keep your
voice low, and stop squirming. Want him to notice we can see him?"

"/ can't see him. Don't drag me into this. You and your Martians can fight it out together. You're making me nervous.
I've got to go, anyway." But he didn't move to get off the stool. Across Lyman's shoulder he was stealing glances
toward the back of the bar, and now and then he looked at Lyman's face.

"Stop watching me," Lyman said. "Stop watching him. Anybody'd think you were a cat."

"Why a cat? Why should anybodyтАФdo I look like a cat?''

"We were talking about cats, weren't we? Cats can see them, quite clearly. Even undressed, I believe. They don't like
them."

"Who doesn't like who?"

"Whom. Neither likes the other. Cats can see MartiansтАФsh-h! тАФbut they pretend not to, and that makes the Martians
mad. I have a theory that cats ruled the world before Martians came. Never mind. Forget about cats. This may be more
serious than you think. I happen to know my Martian's taking tonight off, and I'm pretty sure that was your Martian
who went out some time ago. And have you noticed that nobody else in here has his Martian with him? Do you
supposeтАФ" His voice sank. "Do you suppose they could be waiting for us outside?"

"Oh, Lord," the brown man said. "In the alley with the cats, I suppose."

"Why don't you stop this yammer about cats and be serious for a moment?" Lyman demanded, and then paused,
paled, and reeled slightly on his stool. He hastily took a drink to cover his confusion.

"What's the matter now?" the brown man asked.

"Nothing." Gulp. "Nothing. It was just thatтАФhe looked at me. WithтАФyou know."

"Let me get this straight. I take it the Martian is dressed inтАФis dressed like a human?"

"Naturally."

"But he's invisible to all eyes but yours?"