"Ward Moore & Avram Davidson - Joyleg" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moore Ward)

veterans were doubly her business. As the daughter of one and the widow of another, they were triply
so. The chairman handed over the wad of papers, clearly glad to be rid of it. "Now about those teeth
braces," he began.

Lucinda closed her ears to the dental discussion and read the pages with a disciplined eye. Finished, she
started to hand them back. Weathernox intercepted them apologetically. "May I—?"

"Of course," she answered, not sure that he properly had any business reading them.

He skimmed through them quickly—too quickly, thought Lucinda. Then he said, "Forgive me, Mr.
Chairman—I'm sure I'm out of order—"

"Right ahead," mumbled the chairman; "informal procedure."

"Thank you, Sir. Sir, I'm shocked beyond belief that one who has worn the uniform of the United States,
who has answered his country's call to offer his life on the field of battle, who has willingly risked his
existence for the common good—"

"Maybe he was drafted," suggested a subcommittee member in a low voice. He was unanimously
ignored.

"—common good," repeated Weathernox, in a slightly louder voice, "should be treated with such
contumely, such arrogance, such heartlessness. Eleven dollars a month—"

"Maybe it's a mistake, a clerical error," said another member. "One-one instead of One-one-oh?
Hundred and eleven'd be more like it?"

"It's eleven dollars a month," said the chairman. " 'S repeated five, six, seven times."

"Incredible!" said Weathernox. "Beyond belief. Why, Sir—"

Lucinda spoke crisply. "I noted no mention of any service-connected disability. And no war period is
specified in these papers. I see no reason why this man Joyleg should receive any pension at all."

Tully Weathernox looked at her across the table. Lucinda gave her head—a very fine head it was, too,
with a mass of heavy hair that just missed being reddish, lovely eyes with little laughter lines, a straight
(perhaps a trifle long) nose, and a wide mouth—the slightest toss. She was perfectly willing to pain
anyone set on raiding the treasury, including Captain Tully Weathernox, (USA, Ret.).
"At least it's being spent at home," offered a subcommittee man conciliatingly; "Not
in—uh—Antananarivo or Trincomalee."

The chairman, restive, said, "Those teeth braces—"

"Rabbit Notch, Rabbit Notch," singsonged a committee member. "Benet, you know—in love with
American names. No doubt reached by way of Bug Scuffle and Possum Trot. Would that be in your
district, Mam?"

"Certainly not. I've heard—vaguely—of Rabbit Notch. Sevier is at the point of a very sharp salient
between Willie [she pronounced it, correctly, Wye-lie] Jones County in Captain Weathernox's district,
and Chinquapin County, in mine. I presume Rabbit Notch is in Willie Jones."