"Gene Wolfe - La Befana" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wolfe Gene)

LA BEFANA
Gene Wolfe


When Zozz, home from the pit, had licked his fur clean, he howled before
John Bannano's door. John's wife, Teresa, opened it and let him in. She
was a thin, stooped woman of thirty or thirty-five, her black hair shot with
gray; she did not smile, but he felt somehow that she was glad to see him.
She said, "He's not home yet. If you want to come in we've got a fire."
Zozz said, "I'll wait for him," and, six-legging politely across the threshold,
sat down over the stone Bananas had rolled in for him when they were new
friends. Maria and Mark, playing some sort of game with beer-bottle caps
on squares scratched on the floor dirt said, "Hi, Uncle Zozz," and Zozz said,
"Hi," in return. Bananas' old mother, whom Zozz had brought here from the
pads in his rusty powerwagon the day before, looked at him with piercing
eyes, then fled into the other room. He could hear Teresa relax, the
wheezing outpuffed breath.
He said, half humorously, "I think she thinks I bumped her on purpose
yesterday."
"She's not used to you yet."
"I know," Zozz said.
"I told her, Mother Bannano, it's their world, and they're not used to you."
"Sure," Zozz said. A gust of wind outside brought the cold in to replace
the odor of the gog-hutch on the other side of the left wall.
"I tell you it's hell to have your husband's mother with you in a place as
small as this."
"Sure," Zozz said again.
Maria announced, "Daddy's home!" The door rattled open and Bananas
came in looking tired and cheerful. Bananas worked in the slaughtering
market, and though his cheeks were blue with cold, the cuffs of his trousers
were red with blood. He kissed Teresa and tousled the hair of both
children, and said, "Hi, Zozzy."
Zozz said, "Hi. How does it roll?" And moved over so Bananas could
warm his back. Someone groaned, and Bananas asked a little anxiously,
"What's that?"
Teresa said, "Next door."
"Huh?"
"Next door. Some woman."
"Oh. I thought it might be Mom."
"She's fine."
 "Where is she?"
"In back."
Bananas frowned. "There's no fire in there; she'll freeze to death."
"I didn't tell her to go back there. She can wrap a blanket around her."
Zozz said, "It's me - I bother her." He got up. Bananas said, "Sit down."
"I can go. I just came to say hi."
"Sit down." Bananas turned to his wife. "Honey, you shouldn't leave her in
there alone. See if you can't get her to come out."
"Johnny-"
"Teresa, dammit!"