"Connie Willis - To Say Nothing of the Dog" - читать интересную книгу автора (Willis Connie)

To Say Nothing of the Dog
or

How We Found The BishopтАЩs Bird Stump At Last


by CONNIE WILLIS



тАЬ. . . a harmless, necessary catтАЭ
William Shakespeare


тАЬGod is in the details.тАЭ
Gustave Flaubert



To Robert A. Heinlein

Who, in Have Space Suit, Will Travel,
first introduced me to Jerome K. JeromeтАЩs
Three Men in a Boat,
To Say Nothing of the Dog




тАЬIt would have been nice to start fresh without those messy old ruins,тАЭ she said.
тАЬTheyтАЩre a symbol, dear,тАЭ said her friend.
Mollie Panter-Downs


CHAPTER ONE

A Search Party-Wartime Headgear-The Problem of Nepotism-Royal Headgear-The
BishopтАЩs Bird Stump Is Missing-Jumble Sales-A Clue to Its Whereabouts-Astronomical
Observations-Dogs-A Cat-ManтАЩs Best Friend-An Abrupt Departure


There were five of us-Carruthers and the new recruit and myself, and Mr. Spivens and the verger.
It was late afternoon on November the fifteenth, and we were in what was left of Coventry Cathedral,
looking for the bishopтАЩs bird stump.
Or at any rate I was. The new recruit was gawking at the blown-out stained-glass windows, Mr.
Spivens was over by the vestry steps digging up something, and Carruthers was trying to convince the
verger we were from the Auxiliary Fire Service.
тАЬThis is our squadron leader, Lieutenant Ned Henry,тАЭ he said, pointing at me, тАЬand IтАЩm
Commander Carruthers, the post fire officer.тАЭ
тАЬWhich post?тАЭ the verger said, his eyes narrowed.