"Pat Murphy - Rachel In Love" - читать интересную книгу автора (Murphy Pat)

Rachel's fear that he will hurt her is replaced by the fear that he will leave her locked up and alone.
Desperately she signs again. --Please please please. Help me. I don't belong here. Please help me go
home.

He watches her, considering the situation. Rachel does not move. She is afraid that any movement will
make him leave. With a majestic speed dictated by his inebriation, Jake leans his broom on the row of
cages behind him and steps toward Rachel's cage again. --You talk? he signs.

--I talk, she signs.

Where did you come from?

--From my father's house, she signs. --Two men came and shot me and put me here. I don't know why.
I don't know why they locked me in jail.

Jake looks around, willing to be sympathetic, but puzzled by her talk of jail. --This isn't jail, he signs.
--This is a place where scientists raise monkeys.

Rachel is indignant. --I am not a monkey, she signs. --I am a girl.

Jake studies her hairy body and her jughandle ears. --You look like a monkey.

Rachel shakes her head. --No. I am a girl.

Rachel runs her hands back over her head, a very human gesture of annoyance and unhappiness. She
signs sadly, --I don't belong here. Please let me out.

Jake shifts his weight from foot to foot, wondering what to do. --I can't let you out. I'll get in big trouble.

--Just for a little while? Please?

Jake glances at his cart of supplies. He has to finish off this room and two corridors of offices before he
can relax for the night.

--Don't go, Rachel signs, guessing his thoughts.

--I have work to do.

She looks at the cart, then suggests eagerly, --Let me out and I'll help you work.

Jake frowns. --If I let you out, you will run away.

--No, I won't run. I will help. Please let me out.

--You promise to go back?

Rachel nods.

Warily he unlatches the cage. Rachel bounds out, grabs a whisk broom from the cart, and begins
industriously sweeping bits of food and droppings from beneath the row of cages. --Come on, she signs