"Chelsea Quinn Yarbro - A Baroque Fable" - читать интересную книгу автора (Yarbro Chelsea Quinn)

wisps of black lace at her elbows.
"тАФand our little dog Slurpy. We were so happy, helping each other and singing nice songs in the evening
while we scrubbed the little cottage clean again." Her sigh is a faint, adorable loss of air through her partly
opened lips.
"Oh, for the use of a genie, just for a minute," Alfreida beseeches the air, her eyes turned up toward the
smoke-blacked beams of her hovel. "There are some people who could learn a trick or two from a
genie."
"But don't you see?" Esmeralda asks. "It was so wonderful because we all loved each other and helped
each other and we were all happy to do this, and we were all the better for it." She clasps her hands
together as she remembers.
"All the better for it? All the better for it, she says," Alfreida warns the pots and vials in front of her. "All
the better for what, you great gawk?" She picks up the stopper from a jar and wags it at Esmeralda.
"You listen to me, you horrible creature. You were none of you happy. You were none of you improving
yourselves and helping each other, you were making sure you got what you want, and that's all there is to
it. The rest is a lot of goopy talk. You believe something like that, you'll believe that sweeping up after the
Trolls could be fun!" She flings the stopper into the air. "I don't know. I bring you here, I try to show you
what's what, and all you can. do is talk about drudgery as if it were some kind of picnic, a treat!"
Here Esmeralda touches her throat with her beautiful fingers. "Don't you know that so long as we are
kind, others will be kind in return?"
A BAROQUE FABLE 9
"Listen to the nonsense," Alfreida admonishes Liripoop, who pays no attention at all. She shakes her
head as she looks at Esmeralda. "What kind of fairy talc were you living in? Bah! Bahbahbah! Some
people don't have the first notion of the world-** She flounces away from the table making an angry
show of herself. "Some people don't know why they're liked, what they are worth to die world. No they
don't. Some people think mat they need only look wistful and the world will do what they want. Well, we
don't all have soft hair and melting eyes and rosy skin like a certain dummy I could name. We don't all
bat our lashes and whisper pretty little things to get our way."
Esmerakla cannot bring herself to rebuke Alfreida for her behavior, though she knows it is rude. Instead,
she does as her mother taught her. "I'm sure your friends must be good and kind, and treasure you. They
know and appreciate all your good qualities and think you quite becomingтАФ"
"Me?" This is almost more man Alfreida can stomach.
"Striking, anyway," Esmeralda amends. She looks away from Alfreida, uncertain now to go on, and not
wishing to give offense to her abductress. "It is very sad, you know. Since you've brought me to this dark
forest, I've not been able to discover anything that pleases you. I've tried to do as you wish, and I respect
your abilities, and I... I want to assure you that I would not do anything to give you reason to... take the
action you said you might." She turns her pleading eyes to Alfreida. "Why will you not tell me what I am
to do to please you?"
Alfreida snorts. "Haven't you paid attention to anything I've said? Are you really as dense as all mat? If
you think to fool me with a deep game, you had better change your mind. You do not know what I am
capable of doing, especially when I'm bored."
"Bored?" Esmeralda repeats, seizing on what she hopes is a clue to Alfreida's unpredictable behavior. "Is
that it? You are alone here, but for your cat and the Trolls. Oh, I should have realized." Her eyes shine
wim inspiration. "You miss your friends, don't you? I should never have reminded you of how lonely
you've become. Forgive me, please."
"Forgive something so ridiculous! What an odd idea she has of forgiveness," Alfreida remarks to
Liripoop, her scrag-gfed brows moving up and down to indicate something of
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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
significance. When Alfreida's brows waggle, it is a very bad sign.
"I do realize that I'm not the best companion for you, but I will try to improve. Tell me what you wish me