"Whitley Strieber - Cat Magic" - читать интересную книгу автора (Strieber Whitley)

She left him to dwell on that. Alone in her own room again, she fumbled through the closet for her robe.
Deep tiredness weighed upon her. It was Just after three o'clock. The moon had dropped low, leaving
the room in shadow. By me moonlight that lingered outside she could still see the bulk of Stone Mountain
rising behind the house, its thick coat of evergreens punctuated by gray-glowing tumbles of rockтАФ

Mandy pulled on her robe and opened the window so that me cold air would refresh her. It smelled of
the sweet rot of autumn leaves faintly tanged by old smoke. She could see Ursa Major wheeling above
the dark high ridge of the mountain.
The Great Bear. Woman's stars. The little girls of Athens once danced beneath them, honoring Artemis
the wild huntress, who prowled the autumn hills in the shape of a bear. As a child Mandy's favorite
cuddly had been a stuffed bear named Sid.

Car lights shone on the back fence as the sheriff turned into the driveway. Mandy drew her robe close
around her and went back to George.

He swept the front door open before the bell even rang. тАЬCome on in.тАЭ

тАЬYou the complainant?тАЭ

тАЬI sure am.тАЭ

The deputy was a lean man, his face all angles and lines exaggerated by the porch light. At his hip he had
a big pistol, too big for the thin hand that rested on its butt. There were dark glasses in his top pocket,
one chewed fret dangling out. His lips were dry and cracked. There was what appeared to be a food
stain on the crown of his hat. He moved forward into the house, and Mandy smelled chili on his breath.
He regarded George. тАЬAssault?тАЭ

тАЬThat's right.тАЭ

тАЬYou hurt?тАЭ

тАЬMentally I'm seriously injured.тАЭ The phone rang. George rushed to get it while Mandy stared back at the
deputy, whose eyes had filmed in an unpleasantly intimate way the moment he saw her. Once she would
have hated him, but too many whistles and whispers and unwanted touches had taught her indifference to
men like this. As she had matured, their sexual insecurity had become obvious to her. She thought of
them as frightened kids, unable to grow up, trapped on (he rock of adolescence.

George's voice rose and fell as he talked into the telephone.

тАЬWould you like a cup of coffee. Deputy?тАЭ

тАЬYes, ma'am. It tastes pretty good about mis time of night.тАЭ

тАЬCome on.тАЭ She led him to the kitchen, made him a cup of instant. She was just pouring the water when
George burst into the room.

тАЬJust as I thought, the frog's gone! That damn preacher got in there somehow and took it. And killed it.
Shit!тАЭ

The deputy shot Mandy a questioning glance. тАЬThere was vandalism at Dr. Walker's lab,тАЭ she said.