"Mercedes Lackey - Valdemar Anthology - Sun in Glory" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

understatement: this was possibly the biggest cat he had ever seen, and the village of
Sweetwater was no stranger to champion mousers. But here sat an interloper. The cats of
Sweetwater were by and large brown or grey tabbies, while his тАЬguestтАЭ sported a coat of
light cream. A thick mane surrounded the catтАЩs face and, even without seeing it, Reulan
knew the creatureтАЩs tail most likely would be a plume.
тАЬYou are a big one,тАЭ he observed. The cat yawned and resumed its staring. тАЬBegging
for dinner are you? I donтАЩt think I have any mice and I doubt you can while away the evening
with a tale or two. However, the God has been generous this summer and IтАЩm more than
willing to share.тАЭ
He cut off a hunk of his sausage and extended it. With a delicacy belying its size, the
cat gently took the offered meat, jumped to the floor, and settled down to its dinner. Reulan
chewed his own meal thoughtfully. The low rumble of a purr filled the room and, for an instant,
Reulan was transported back to his fatherтАЩs barn, where he had sometimes sat surrounded
by the resident cats, all of whom seemed content to lie purring in the sun until night and the
hunt were upon them.
Darkness hovered not far away, the long summertime dusk deepening outside. Reulan
cleaned his dish, put it away, and blew out the candle on the cupboard. He expected his
visitor to be gone when he turned back, but, no, the cat was now busy cleaning his face and
whiskers.
тАЬTime to go,тАЭ Reulan said, and reached down to push his guest toward the open door.
тАЬDawn comes early, and I must be in bed.тАЭ
The cat protested with a deep meow, standing stiff-legged, but finally allowed Reulan
to escort him out the door. He stood facing Reulan for a moment, a half-accusing expression
on his face and then sat down, wrapping his thickly-furred tail around his front paws. The
young priest felt a slight twinge of guilt as he closed the door and turned toward his bed.
Tomorrow he would ask around the village to see if anyone knew who might own the cat.
Tonight, however, with all of SweetwaterтАЩs barns available, the feline could easily find any
number of places to hunt and sleep.
***
The first light of dawn woke Reulan from a deep sleep. Something heavy lay next to his
feet and, when he looked down to the end of his bed, he was amazed to find the
cream-colored tabby curled up in a comfortable ball, still sleeping deeply. The window, he
thought absently, the cat must have come in through the window last night. WeтАЩll see how
long he stays.
But all that day, through the numerous chores Reulan completed, the day after and the
next, the cat never stayed far away. No matter what he did-whether weeding his garden,
repairing a few shingles on the chapel (and it took some doing to scale the tree nearby to
jump across to the roof), or taking meditative walks through the fields or forest-the cat kept
close to his side. No one Reulan spoke with could remember seeing such a magnificent
beast or one of that particular color. He finally admitted the cat had adopted him and felt
oddly grateful for the company.
One evening as he and the cat sat down to supper together, Reulan heard the distant
rumble of thunder. He had been expecting a storm, for the air had been close and heavy all
day, and its coming promised some relief from the heat. Finished with both dinner and toilet,
the cat disappeared into the night. He never stayed away long...no chasing down sausages
in the night for this fellow. Far better to wait politely and let the human provide the meal.
Reulan closed the shutters to his room as the wind rose and the temperature started to
drop. Distant lightning became more vivid now and foretold a good soaking overnight rain.
Reulan still didnтАЩt see the cat and called out to his companion, but saw nothing. A faint pang
of anxiety tightened his heart-he didnтАЩt want the poor fellow to be caught in a downpour.