"Liz Williams - Wolves of the Sprit" - читать интересную книгу автора (Williams Liz)

тАЬWhy did they leave the skin?тАЭ I forced myself to look at it.
тАЬMaybe theyтАЩre just after the meatтАФbut I think itтАЩs more likely to be this.тАЭ He
tugged the skin over and I saw the black bands around it. тАЬSee? ItтАЩs a young one.
The pelt-merchants donтАЩt like the banding, itтАЩs not fashionable.тАЭ
тАЬSo they just dumped it.тАЭ
I could see the disgust in his eyes. It had struck me, of course, that heтАЩd been
the one to kill the selk, but that expression convinced me otherwise. тАЬYou need to
get someone out here, Siri.тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt know if theyтАЩll come for only one selk.тАЭ The culls were another
matter; IтАЩd seen those on the newsfeeds, the ice running red, the pups begging for
their lives.
тАЬIt wonтАЩt be just one. ItтАЩs so far out here, I suppose they thought theyтАЩd be
undisturbed. Would you have gone out there, in this weather?тАЭ
I shook my head. тАЬIтАЩll put that report through,тАЭ I said, and did so.
Communications this far out are often subject to delay. It was evening before I
got a reply, telling me that the report had been filed and a response would be with me
in the next couple of days.
тАЬWhen is the next provision copter through?тАЭ Lailoken asked.
тАЬAnother week.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩm afraid in that case, youтАЩll just have to put up with me, Siri.тАЭ
He said it with a smile. A lot can happen in a week, the thought came to me.
On the following morning, we went out to look at LailokenтАЩs rigger.
тАЬIтАЩm taking this.тАЭ I showed him the harpoon gun, the only weapon I had.
тАЬJust in case the hunters are still around.тАЭ
He gave a grave nod. тАЬGood idea. I donтАЩt have anything with meтАФI had a
small weapon, but itтАЩs still in the rigger; I couldnтАЩt get at it.тАЭ
When I saw his craft, I knew why. Looking down from the top of the cliff, the
prow of the rigger had been stoved in and it was sinking. The back half was already
submerged.
тАЬYou were really lucky to have made it up the cliff,тАЭ I said. тАЬThereтАЩs no way
weтАЩre going to be able to drag that up.тАЭ
Lailoken cursed. тАЬItтАЩll be gone by the time we can get a rescue copter out here
and anyway, IтАЩd have to pay. Oh well. ItтАЩs insured, at least.тАЭ
тАЬWill you get the full amount back?тАЭ
He snorted. тАЬI pay a high enough premium.тАЭ
When we got back to the lighthouse Lailoken, with an air of resignation, asked
if I had a spare fishing rod. I watched him walk across the ice, a graceful prowl, and
chop a hole in the ice with a borrowed prong.
A fish supper, in pleasant company. Maybe IтАЩd been lonelier than IтАЩd thought.
I had a number of tasks to do around the light: basic maintenance. I went
down into the base area to fetch some equipment; the skin of the selk was still there,
folded as neatly as I could manage it, and so was LailokenтАЩs pack. WeтАЩd made up a
bed for him on the couch.
As I crossed the room, I heard a whisper.
Iskir. Iskir.
It was surprisingly loud and it startled me. I looked around, but nothing was
there. My head rang with it. Iskir.
тАЬWhoтАЩs there?тАЭ I said aloud.
The whisper came again and it was coming from the pack. I was an idiot, I
told myself. Lailoken must have a radio in there. Not much use, however, if the