"Geoff Ryman - Was" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ryman Geoff)

"Thank you, Dorothy," said Etta quickly. Then she kissed Doro-thy on the
forehead again. Dorothy could feel it, as if it glowed. For a moment she felt
as though nothing could hurt her.

Dorothy sat on the trunk in the back. She looked backward as the station,
the town, disappeared in trees.

"Well I must say, Dorothy," said Aunty Em. "You do make your
acquaintances from the top social drawer!"

The wagon wheels thrilled over the surface of a stone bridge across the
river and into shade. Overhead there was a high bank of clouds.

"Believe it's going to rain at last," said Uncle Henry.

"Hallelujah," said Aunty Em, her eyes fixed on the clouds. Then she turned
and tapped Dorothy on the knee. "Out of the wagon while we go up the hill,
Dorothy. Spare poor old Calliope."

Dorothy didn't understand.

"Calliope is our mule, Dorothy, and it's not fair to make her haul us up hills.
So we'll have a nice walk."

The road had been baked into ruts. Aunty Em took her hand, and they
walked in twilight into trees. "You should have been here in spring," said
Aunty Em, "and seen the sweet William." Her face went faraway.

"I can remember going up this road for the first time myself," she said. "I
was sixteen and your mama was nine, and we walked through here. It was
just a track then. We walked all the way to Papa's plot of land. Through
these beautiful trees. And then we saw the valley, like you will soon, all
grass and river, and we camped there. And we slept under the stars by a
fire, looking up at the stars. Did your mama ever talk to you about that,
Dorothy?"

"No," said Dorothy. "No, Ma'am." Her mother had never spo-ken about
Manhattan.

"Did she talk about your Grandfather Matthew? How he came here and built
a house?"

Dorothy thought she better answer yes.

"Your grandfather came out here just like Etta's uncles, for the same
reason. To keep Kansas a free state. And he worked on Manhat-tan's first
newspaper, and then for the Independent with Mr. Josiah Pillsbury. We are
educated people, Dorothy. We are not just farmers."