"Andre Norton - Cat's eye" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

All the creatures were friendly enough, many of them



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clamoring for his attention, reaching out to him with
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paws, calling in a whole range of sounds. He was
amused, intrigued, attracted—but this was not the
same.

He ate his noon rations in the courtyard, apart from
Kyger's other employees. C.L. men and subcitizens
were never too friendly. And in the midafternoon he
witnessed the departure of the Terran cats.

A service robot carried the traveling cage and a food
crate at the head of the small procession. Then came a
jeweled vision of the hired-companion class, for she
swung several small bags on their cords. Next, trailed
diffidently by Kyger—if that ex-spacer could ever act
a merchant's deference—was a second woman, her
features hard to distinguish under the modish painted
design of glitter stars on cheek and forehead, the now
ultrafashionable "modesty veil" enwrapping mouth,
chin, and the rest of her head. Her long coat and tight
undertrousers were smartly severe and as unadorned
as her companion's were ornately embellished.

As she spoke, her voice held the irremediable lisp of
the Lydian-born. And it was plain she was delighted
with her new pets. Troy ducked into the door of the
fish room to let them pass.

He did not understand why he felt that strange
prick of irritation. The Gentle Fern San duk Var was
almost the wealthiest consort on Korwar, and the cats
had been specially ordered to satisfy her whim. Why
did he resent their going? Why? He had had his own
piece of luck out of this transaction—the chance that
Kyger might keep him on the staff, at least until Zul
returned.

Kyger, having seen the party off, called Troy to his
office. The corn plate on the wall was already activated,
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