"William Morrison - Playground" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morrison William)

"But they do so like to run around," said Sabina wistfully.
"It's too dangerous to run where we can't see. The grass cuts off our view in every direction except
where the ship's jets burned it down. We don't know what danger's going to swoop down on us next."
"I ain't afraid of no danger," said Lester. "You know what I'll do, Pop, if some animal jumps at me?
I'll give 'im the old one-two. And then I'll point my pistol тАФ a-a-a-a-a тАФ"
"Don't you point that at me! Here, give it to me! We're in more danger from that than from the
animals. Let's get back into the ship."
They had left the ship's door open, and sudden fear struck George. It would be an unpleasant
surprise to find that some beast had sneaked in and was lying in wait for them. He began to hurry.
A great shadow blotted out the light above them. Then, as the shadow swooped down, there was a
dull thud and the bow of the ship leaped into the air. The entire vessel trembled for a moment, then fell
again and turned slightly on its side.
George and Sabina looked at each other. Jerry said, "What was that, Pop?"
"I don't know. Wait a minute, everybody. Don't move тАФ"
There was a distant roar, as of a herd of cattle crashing through the great stalks of grass. Another
shadow blotted out the light. George looked up and saw what seemed to a mountain towering over
them.
"Down!" he shouted. "Everybody down!"
They threw themselves down, and even as they did so, George doubted the wisdom of the move. If
that thing were the giant he thought it, a single footstep could obliterate the entire family. The shadow
passed over them. They could hear the tearing and splintering of the grass, and then the noise diminished,
and it was clear daylight once more.
He said, "We'd better get out of here."
A shadow again. This time it passed rapidly, and he could see its edges recede over the grass. It was
circular in shape, as if the object which cast it were spherical. The object struck the ground, not the ship
this time, and the shock sent an unpleasant tremor through all of them. Then the object rose into the air
again.
"Back to the ship!" ordered George. "Everybody back тАФ quick!" They ran into the ship and he shut
the door. Outside there was another minor earthquake. And then silence.
He had never seen the kids so scared. They were speechless with fright. I can't blame them, he
thought. I feel the same way.
It was Carl who recovered first. He said, "Bad dog took my pop. I wanna go home."
"Quiet, Carl," said Lester importantly.
"You be quiet," said Jerry.
We're getting back to normal, thought George. The dryness in his throat passed. He said, "It seems
gone now. Hope it doesn't come back in a hurry."
"What do you think it was, George?" asked Sabina.
"Well, that thing that hit the ship first, and then the ground, seemed to bounce. And it had a curved
edge. I'd say it was a ball of some kind."
"A ball, Pop?" exclaimed Jerry.
"You heard me. And that giant crashing through the grass must have been a kid playing with it."
"Some kid!" said Lester. "Gosh, Pop, he was as hooge as a house."
"Huge, dear," corrected Sabina.
"He was bigger'n a house. At least 1000 feet high," said Jerry.
"Maybe not that much. I'll admit I was in too much of a hurry to get a good look at him тАФ if it is a
him. It may have been a girl, or it may have been neither."
"Neither?" said Lester incredulously. "That's silly, Pop. A kid's gotta be something. If it ain't a boy
it's a girl, and if it ain't a girl it's a boy. I remember that stereo Mom got us тАФ it's all about sects тАФ"
"Sex, dear."
"Let's not discuss that now," said George, feeling harried. "When I say I think this was a kid, I'm