"Mike Resnick - Song of a Dry River" - читать интересную книгу автора (Resnick Mike)

тАЬAs you see, I am building a hut,тАЭ she said. тАЬWe are going to be neighbors, Koriba.тАЭ

I shook my head. тАЬI require no neighbors,тАЭ I said, pulling my blanket more tightly around my shoulders.
тАЬAnd you already have a hut on Koinnage'sshamba .тАЭ

тАЬI no longer wish to live there,тАЭ said Mumbi.

тАЬYou may not live on my hill,тАЭ I said. тАЬThemundumugu lives alone.тАЭ

тАЬI have faced the doorway to the east,тАЭ she said, turning to the broad, sprawling savannah beyond the
river and ignoring my statement. тАЬThat way the rays of the sun will bring warmth into it in the morning.тАЭ

тАЬThis is not even a true Kikuyu hut,тАЭ I continued angrily. тАЬA strong wind will blow it over, and it will
protect you from neither the cold nor the hyenas.тАЭ

тАЬIt will protect me from the sun and the rain,тАЭ she responded. тАЬNext week, when I have more strength, I
will fill in the walls with mud.тАЭ

тАЬNext week you will be living with Koinnage, where you belong,тАЭ I said.

тАЬI will not,тАЭ she said adamantly. тАЬBefore I would return to Koinnage'sshamba , I would rather you left
my withered old body out for the hyenas.тАЭ

That can be arranged, I thought irritably, for I had seen enough foolishness for one day. But aloud I
said: тАЬWhy do you feel this way, Mumbi? Does Koinnage no longer treat you with respect?тАЭ

тАЬHe treats me with respect,тАЭ she admitted, trying to straighten her ancient body and placing a gnarled
hand to the small of her back.

тАЬKoinnage has three wives,тАЭ I continued, slapping futilely at a pair of flies that circled my face. тАЬIf any of
them have ignored you or treated you with disrespect, I will speak to them.тАЭ

She snorted contemptuously. тАЬHa!тАЭ

I paused and stared at a small herd of impala grazing on the savannah, trying to decide upon the best
way to approach the subject. тАЬHave you fought with them?тАЭ

тАЬI did not realize that the mornings were so cold on this hill,тАЭ she said, rubbing her wrinkled chin with a
gnarled hand. тАЬI will need more blankets.тАЭ

тАЬYou did not answer my question,тАЭ I said.

тАЬAnd firewood,тАЭ she continued. тАЬI will have to gather much firewood.тАЭ

тАЬI have heard enough,тАЭ I said firmly. тАЬYou must return to your home, Mmubi.тАЭ

тАЬI will not!тАЭ she said, laying a protective hand on the walls of her hut. тАЬThiswill be my home.тАЭ

тАЬThis is themundumugu's hill. I will not permit you to live here.тАЭ