"Christopher Moore - Cat's Karma" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moore Christopher)

catch for you and the cat. I have brought beef that my men traded for from the inland farmers. Please do
me the honor of accepting this small gift in your time of need."
Mesong was mistrustful of the fish merchant. She could have done with cold rice until Chang's return,
but Ling-Ling would not eat rice, so for the sake of the cat she accepted the gift with thanks.
"Enjoy, Lady Chang," the old fish merchant said through a grin. "And may your noble husband return
soon." With that he was off and Mesong began to prepare the beef over the fire.

***

The next morning the wind changed and Chang returned to his home to find Mesong and Ling-Ling
dead, lying together in front of the cold fireplace. He fell to his knees over his bride and wept, and that is
where Mesong's father found him later that afternoon.
Mesong and the cat had eaten all the beef before its poison killed them so it was thought that they had
eaten fish that had gone bad, since Chang had not returned that night with a fresh catch. A huge funeral
pyre was built and Mesong was laid upon it dressed in the finest silks. The villagers all gathered and
were shocked when they saw the body of the black cat lying at the girl's side, but none said a word.
Chang was in enough pain without being ridiculed. Between themselves the villagers talked of the
horrible atrocities Chang must have committed in some previous life to have been so punished in this
one.
After the funeral Chang returned to his little house alone and lay down on his pallet. Thoughts of
Mesong wrenched his heart and he curled into a ball of pain and loneliness -- not even the purring
warmth of his cat to comfort him. Sleep would not come. Each time he closed his eyes his head filled
with images of his beloved Mesong or the feeling of Ling-Ling's soft fur. He could not make himself eat.
For three days he lay on the pallet grieving, getting up only to light a fire and relieve himself. Finally, on
the third night he slept and dreamed of Mesong and Ling-Ling, then of Ling-Ling's soft fur, then of
Mesong's loving touch, then both together. He dreamed he was awakened by soft fur brushing against
his face.
The fire had almost died so he could just see someone standing next to the pallet, a woman, but not a
woman. She was covered with soft black fur like Ling-Ling's, but her body was much like Mesong's.
The cat woman crawled on to the pallet with Chang, and though he thought that he should be afraid, he
felt safe with this soft creature.
She arched her back beside him, pressing her full furred breasts into his side. He turned to her and took
her breasts into his hands and kneaded the warm fur. She turned on her stomach and stretched as he ran
his hands down her back. When she stretched her arms out he could see her long claws unsheathe, claws
at least two inches long with points like daggers, but he was not alarmed. He worked over her fur and
ran his hand down her long tail, which twitched at his touch.
By the firelight he could see she had deep green eyes like Mesong's, but no long hair. Pointed ears rose

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 Christopher Moore - Cat's Karma

straight up from her head. He scratched the cat woman between the ears much as he had Ling-Ling and
she worked her body against him, warming him with the touch of her fur. Then she stood again and
lifted him as if he were a small child, setting him down on the pallet so that he stood on his knees. She
back against him on all fours with her tail in the air, looking back at him with fire-lit green eyes. Chang
put his arms around her waist and grabbed handfuls of soft fur and entered her, the cat-woman let out a
long wail of pleasure. As he moved she began to purr, and Chang could feel the deep vibrations run
through him and settle in his chest. Her claws raked at the bedding until she could stand it no longer, and
as she let out a long, high scream, Chang let himself go as well. He fell asleep with his face buried in the
soft fur of her breasts.