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

There were fields, but tall marsh grass grew up among them, even in the
drought.

"Dorothy," said Aunty Em. "See that grass there? That marks a wallow. Now
you must be careful of the wallows, whenever you see them. They're
quicksand. Children disappear into them. There was a little girl who got
swallowed up in the buffalo wallows and was never found again. So when
you play, you go up those hills there."

Dorothy believed in death. "Yes, Ma'am," she said very solemnly.

Toto still growled.

Hens ran away from the wagon as it pulled into the yard. Toto snarled as if
worrying something in his mouth and then scrabbled over the running
boards. "Wow wow wow wow!" he said, haring after the hens.

The hens seemed to explode, running off in all directions. Aunty Em jumped
down from the wagon, gathering up her gray skirts. She ran after Toto into
the barn, long flat feet and skinny black ankles pumping across the hard
ground.

"That's going to get your aunt into a powerful rage," said Uncle Henry,
taking the mule's lead.

Inside the barn there were cries like rusty hinges and the fluttering of
wings. Hens scattered back out of it, dust rising behind them like smoke,
pursued by Toto. Aunty Em followed with a broom made of twigs.

"Shoo! Shoo!" she said in a high voice.

"He won't hurt them, Aunty Em!" said Dorothy.

Aunty Em brought the broom down on Toto with a crackling of twigs. He
yelped and rolled over. She whupped him again, and he kicked up dust and
shot under the house.

"Henry, get a rope," said Aunty Em.

"Got to take care of the mule, Em."

The house rested about a foot off the ground on thick beams. Toto peered
out from between them, quivering. Dorothy saw his eyes.

Aunty Em sighed and caught an escaping wisp of hair. "Dorothy," she said,
sounding somewhat more kindly. "Your dog is going to have to learn to stay
away from the hens. Now let's get you inside."

Aunty Em held up her arms and lifted Dorothy down. She walked back to the