"Ardath Mayhar - The Little Finger on the Left Hand" - читать интересную книгу автора (Mayhar Ardath)

out, they put up a fence with padlocks and all the trimmings. Why?тАЭ

That was a question I didnтАЩt want to answer. тАЬI just wondered. After all, it
isnтАЩt every day you lose a piece of your-self.тАЭ I laughed, but it hurt.

After he left, I thought of that loose bit of flesh and bone, lying in all that
rubble. By God, mice were probably stripping it down to the bone. And I could,
somehow, feel it happening. The thought preyed on my mind.

Then I remembered the motion I had seen, back in the corner when I went in
to do my job. Something a lot bigger than a mouse тАФ or even a rat тАФ had been in
that old house. I had thought it might be a cat, nosing around, and never thought of it
again. But now I recalled the ghost of a growl. Sharp teeth, glinting in the dimness . .
.

тАЬHamp Carstairs,тАЭ I said aloud, тАЬyou will drive yourself completely round the
bend, if you lie here making up sto-ries. Go to sleep!тАЭ

With the help of a nurse and another shot, I did just that. But the next day I
was all nerves. Sedatives just made me worse, until it seemed as if my skin would
crawl right out from under the casts and bandages and make off down the hall.

Lola was beside herself. She tried to talk, to read, but I just lay there in a cold
sweat, trying to keep from scream-ing. She could see it in my eyes, which was just
about all of my face she could see.

тАЬHamp!тАЭ

IтАЩd closed my eyes, so she could get some rest. I opened them to see her
bending over me.

тАЬHamp, itтАЩs that damn finger, isnтАЩt it? IтАЩm going down there and dig around
until I find it. IтАЩm going to bring it right back here and put it in a jar of formal-dehyde
on that table, so you can see that nothingтАЩs at it. It may not help the nerves, but it
just might help the men-tal strain a bit.тАЭ

It was hard to talk through the band-ages, but I managed. тАЬLo, listen! That
place is a deathtrap. Rog says they locked it up, itтАЩs so dangerous. ItтАЩs not going to
help either of us if you get all smashed up, too. I want all of your parts in working
order, when I get out of this cast.тАЭ

She smiled, and I recognized that look. I should have kept that problem to
myself. She left, determination in the set of her back.

She didnтАЩt come back that afternoon at her usual time. There was no call at
bedtime. I began to sweat. I had the nurse call Rog at home, just to see if there had
been any sort of commotion out at the work site. But no. The next house was down,
and theyтАЩd begun working on the one on the other side. There had been no problem
at the unst-able one.