"Carol Emshwiller - At Sixes and Sevens" - читать интересную книгу автора (Emshwiller Carol)

AT SIXES AND SEVENS
by Carol Emshwiller

Carol Emshwiller’s sixth novel, The Secret City, is just out from
Tachyon Publications. It shares the same milieu as her first story for
Asimov’s, “Worlds of No Return,” which appeared in our January
2006 issue. In a new story for our slightly spooky
October/November issue, she shows us that peril and confusion can
reign when one lives next door to a witch, especially if we aren’t too
clear about which neighbor is the witch.

****

Remember when this used to be an orchard? Some of the trees still live
and still bear fruit. In the yard, the asparagus patch still pushes up stalks in
among the weeds. If you’re careful you can still climb the porch steps
without breaking your neck.

It used to be a nice farm. The old man worked it—mostly by himself.
No sons, only a daughter. She’s a strong one, though, small but wiry.

Now that he’s dead, she keeps it going by herself but she doesn’t
grow what we grow. She grows useless crops of nettles and thistles.
Though I must admit, her strawberries are wonderful, small and flavorful. In
certain seasons, I can smell them from here.

Her Dad was peculiar. Kept to himself.

Poor little motherless child ... she was. My husband and I wanted to
help. Her father wouldn’t let us. Took her wherever he went in a basket at
first. Then made a little harness for her and tied her near him as if she was
a dog. That can’t be good, especially since we were right here, willing to
help.

Later on he put bells on her so he could keep track of where she was.
As if she was the bellwether. Once we saw him climb up to take her down
from the shed roof. Another time it was that big old cottonwood. Part of it
split when he went to rescue her and he nearly broke his neck.

Well, she did grow up, but it’s a wonder.

And a wonder she learned to talk. We never heard him say much
more than grunts.
 He always said he home-schooled her. I’ll bet!

Even now that her dad’s dead, she never comes to us for anything. All
she has for company is that big old dog and her cat. Even when she broke
her leg she didn’t want our help. You could tell by the way she looked at us,
though that time, she couldn’t get along without us.