"Andre Norton - Star Ka'at 01 - Star Ka'at" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

"You—you go away!" she commanded. "This house is mine, mine and
Granny's. We got no cats. Don't want 'em either!"

She had never seen a cat with such blue eyes which stared right into
hers. Elly wiped her hand across her forehead. Sure was hot. She wished
she had a popsicle, an orange one, all cool and icy. Elly had to get inside to
see how Granny was doing. Granny had said she was tuckered out that
morning, that she would stay in bed a little longer, just to rest her old
bones. Granny had awfully old bones, and they were always hurting her
now.

"Get away!" Elly flapped the bag at the cat but it did not even blink.
Putting as much distance between her and the animal as she could, the
girl edged around the half-open door.

It was dark inside and it smelled. But Elly was so used to both the dusky
room and the smells she didn't even notice them—much. There was an old
rusty wood stove by the far side, and a table which had lost part of one leg
so it was propped up on a couple of bricks. On that was Granny's fry pan
and two dented bowls Elly had found. Under the table was a bucket with a
dipper dropped into the water it held.

"It's me, Granny!" Elly went directly to the sagging cot. "Me. I had some
luck, I did. Found a lot of old jars and Uncle Slim gave me a dollar and
forty-two cents." She pulled her tied-up treasure from under her shirt.

Granny's head turned on the pillow and Elly loosed a sigh of relief.
Sometimes Granny just lay there and slept, not answering her at all.

"Come here, child," the voice from the bed was hardly more than a
whisper. "You're a right- smart one, you are, Elly. Could you just fetch me
a drink of water now? It's been plenty hot—"

"'Course." Elly ran for the dipper. Then she settled Granny's head on her
arm with the ease of long practice and watched her sip once or twice.
"Plenty more, Granny," she urged.

"I've plenty, Elly. That tastes right fine—for city water. Back home we
had a well with the coldest, sweetest water a body ever set lip to. That was
a long time ago, a long time ago—"

"You get well, Granny, and I have some more luck like I had today, and
we'll get on the bus and go there." Elly was dreaming her favorite dream,
though out loud this time. Granny had told her so much about the old
home place, it seemed like she had once been there herself.

The small woman on the bed pulled herself up to a sitting position, and
Elly hurried to wedge a ragged quilt and stained, coverless pillows behind
her.