"Andre Norton - Here Abide Monsters" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

just have to believe it!" She had picked up Lung, holding him high on her br
east so his silken head was right under her chin. The Peke had stopped barkin
g and was licking her face, or as much of it as his tongue could reach.
"Let's get going." Nick's tone was rough. They must get away-out into the op
en, if they could find any open.
The compass did bring them out a few minutes later into a space where the gi
ant trees ceased and brush took their places. They pushed through the thinne
st section of this and came to an expanse of tall grass, which in turn gave
way to reeds bordering the lake-or a lake.
Along the shoreline, they could see no cabins, though by now Nick had ceas
ed to hope to find those, or any sign that their own species had ever been
there. Wading through the shallows were several herons that paid no atten
tion to the newcomers. And in a rough pasture farther to the south animals
were grazing. They were so light of hide Nick wondered if they had chance
d upon a small herd of unicorns. Then one raised its head and showed branc
hed antlers. But who had ever heard of silver-gray deer?
"There're no cabins-" Linda loosed her hold on the bike, let her duffel bag
thump to the ground. "Nick, what are we going to do?"
He shrugged. "I don't know." He was no superman, no use in her turning to h
im as if he could get them out of this by flexing his muscles or something
like that. "If you want to know the truth, I'm hungry. We might as well eat
."
By the angle of the sun it must be close to noon. And he was hungry. It app
eared that even a jump across time (if that was what had really happened to
them) was not enough to subdue one's appetite.
"Hungry!" Linda repeated. Then she laughed, even if it was a small and diffi
cult sound. "Why, I guess I am, too."
The grazing deer paid no attention to them. And, here in the open, nothing c
ould sneak up on them without attracting attention. Linda moved on to a plac
e where the grass did not appear as tall.
"Here's a good place." She beckoned as if this were an ordinary picnic. But
Nick thought now about food. Not of how hungry he was, but of the meagerne
ss of the rations they carried.
He had been depending on the store of canned goods at the cabin, and all el
se he had was what he had picked up at the store. That would not last long.
Then they would have to live off the country. But what if they could not?
Even in the countryside of his own world he did not know much about what c
ould be eaten in the way of berries (if any could be found) or other growi
ng things, except those from gardens. There were survival books supposed t
o explain just how you could live off the wild, but such knowledge had nev
er appealed to him and he had never read one. No, they would have to go li
ght on their provisions. Back in the jeep-if they could find their way bac
k-were the two melons and all those cases of drinks. But that was not much.
He squatted down on his heels, facing Linda who had settled cross-legged in
the grass.
"Listen-about food-I don't have much. You have anything in that?" He pointe
d to her bag.
"You mean-" He could see from the expression on her face that she underst
ood. Then she went on, steadily enough. "You mean we might not be able to
find anything to eat here?"