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

Alfreida kicks a few more bits of furniture into the corners of the room. Other bits of legs and arms of
chairs already broken there attest to how regular a habit this is with her. When she has cleared a good
portion of the center of the room, she wets her fingers and holds them up. "No draft except for the
chimney, and dial's to be expected."
Liripoop rolls closer to the hearth, as if to aid her, or it may be that he is only exercising good judgment.
"The floor will do as it is," Alfreida announces to the air. She begins to pace and measure as she goes,
still holding the box of white powder. "I won't need the candles; I won't want
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Chelsea Quinn Yaibro
to keep anything in." Her laughter has degenerated to a cackle. "And then, it's only a matter of choosing
the right form and putting her in it." The cackle grows worse. Alfreida is beginning to enjoy herself,
something that bodes very little good for anyone other than Alfreida. "The pentacle, the pen-tacle. And
mat disgusting creature!" It would be too much to say that she actually skips, but she comes dangerously
close to it. "She'll be quite hideous, quite, quite hideous. How delightful it will be."
As if in protest, Liripoop gets up, stretches, and then leaps up to the narrow stone projection that serves
as a mantle above the hearth. He recommences washing his tail.
"What would make her feel most awful?" This occupies her thoughts briefly. "And what would cause the
greatest uproar? What would bring all the neighbors running to stare and curse?" Her eyes widen
suddenly. "I have it! I have it! Extirpation, I have it!" This time her hop is more emphatic. "A dragon,
that's it. A dragon. I'll turn that syrupy blossom into a horrible, repulsive, ghastly, horrendous dragon,
with scales and flames. That will cause tongues to wag, even among the Trolls." The more she
contemplates this, the happier it makes her. She opens her box of white powder and begins the task of
marking out the pentacle on the floor. She croons to herself as she goes. "A dragon, Esmeralda a dragon.
Why, there hasn't been a dragon in the Woebegone Wood for centuries, and almost everyone's forgotten
what they're like. And to have them know that I did it, well, it would be about time for some of them to
realize the talents I possess are not to be trifled with." She has finished about half the pentacle and she
pauses to look over her work. "Coming along very nicely. What do you say, Liripoop?" The cat could
not be bothered.
Nothing daunted, Alfreida continues with her chores. "Think of it. All the nobility from Addlepate and
Alabaster-on-Gelasta will come riding out here, and 1*11 have them! What a plate of understanding
charity and help they'll serve Esmeralda! And what / will do to them." She finds this so amusing that she
almost drops die box of white powder. "What fun it's going to be! Ah! And what a lasting lesson it's
going to give to a remarkably stupid fuzzy-brain." She is glowing more and more enthusiastic for her dire
project; the ramifications ait becoming apparent to her, and me more of mem she recognizes, the better
she fceis. "Those know-H-aOs
A BAROQUE FABLE
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in Addlepate. Well! Humgudgeon thinks he's the master enchanter in these parts. Fat lot of boasting,
that's all he's good for. Why, I could out-enchant the whole lot of them, including Humgudgeon. I've got
more imagination than any of them, I've shown that over and over. My skills keep getting better." She
stops congratulating herself to put the finishing touches on her pentacle. "There's more evil in my littleтАФ"
"... hide in deep holes! WeтАФ"
Alfreida screams as Esmeralda hastens to close the door behind her, once again shutting out the rowdy
carolling of die Trolls.
"Will you warn a body when you're coming, you inexcusable dottard? Ail this skulking about makes me
nervy." Alfreida glowers at Esmeralda, pouting as she does.
Esmeralda is chagrinned, and she blushes rosily. "I'm sorry, Mistress Broomtait. I never intended to
frighten you."
As if it were not bad enough to have been startled, this revelation is almost more than Alfreida can bear.
"Frighten? You, frighten me? Will you listen to this loathsome abomination?" Suddenly Alfreida laughs,