Read Online The Book of Night With Moon by Diane Duane - Free Book Online
Authors: Diane Duane
Tags: Fiction, General, Fantasy fiction, Fantasy, Contemporary, Fantastic fiction, Pets, cats, Cats - Fiction
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slightly. "There are more ways to be invisible than to sidle," he said. "Let's talk tomorrow morning, then." He sipped at his cappucino, then squinted briefly at her. "Rhi, what is that all over you? You look awful."
She smiled slightly at him. "Occupational hazard. I told you the rats were thick down there… about an eighth of an inch thick, at the moment.— You on call all alone this weekend?"
Carl nodded. "Tom's in Geneva at the Continental-regionals meeting; he'll be back Wednesday. I'm handling the whole East Coast, just now."
"Not much fun for you," Rhiow said, "having no one to split shifts with."
Carl waved the cappucino at her. "I drink a lot of this. I get jangled, but I survive."
Rhiow got up and shook herself again, not that it helped. "Well, give T'hom my best when you hear from him," she said. "Go well, Advisory… and watch out for that caffeine."
" Dai stihó, Rhiow," Carl said. "Stay in touch. And mind the rats."
"You got that in one," she said, and headed down the stairs.
* * *
When Rhiow got back down to the tracks, she found that Saash and Urruah had moved over to the far side, near the wall. Between them lay the kitling, now curled into a tight ball. He was cleaner: Saash was washing him, and looked up from that now as Rhiow came over.
"How is he?" Rhiow said.
"He woke for a moment," Saash said, "but went right out again— understandable. No bones broken, no internal injuries. He's just bitten up and shocked to exhaustion. Sleep's best for him, and a wizardry to kill the filth in the bites. But not here."
"No, indeed not," Rhiow said, glancing around. No ehhif terminal staff were out on the tracks as yet, but it wouldn't do for any to come along and find this kitling. The ehhif 's relations with terminal cats had become somewhat difficult over the last few years. Every now and then the place was "swept," and sick or indigent cats found there were taken away, along with sick or indigent ehhif who had also taken refuge in the tunnels for shelter rather than food. "Well, he's got to have somewhere to rest. But I can't help: the outside places near my den are too dangerous for a kit."
"I live in a Dumpster," Urruah said, with execrable pride. "There would be room… but I don't think it's the place for him if he's sick."
"No," Rhiow said, "but it's good of you to offer." She didn't say what she was thinking: that attempting to keep a young tom barely out of kittenhood in close company with a tom of siring age was a recipe for disaster, whether the tom lived in a Dumpster or a palace, and whether he was a wizard or not. Mature toms couldn't help their attitude toward kittens in general, and male ones in particular, no matter how they tried.
"I think I can put him up," Saash said. "There are a lot of places way down and back in the garage where the ehhif never go. One big high ledge that I use sometimes will serve: it's four levels down. None of the ehhif go down there except to fetch cars out, and not often— it's long-term storage space. This kitling won't be heard, even if he cries, and if I have to, I can lay a barrier to hold either him or the sound in till he's well enough to go."
"You'll have to spend some time there to be sure he's settled," Rhiow said, "and if he catches you, Abha'h will powder you again—"
Saash hissed softly, but the sound was resigned. "I suppose it's in a good cause," she said. "And I have to eat sometime; he'd catch me then anyway. Will you two lend a hand with the jump? I don't propose to carry him all the way home in my mouth."
"No problem. Urruah?"
"As long as she does the circle," Urruah said, emitting a cavernous yawn. The morning's exertions were beginning to catch up with him.
Rhiow yawned, too, then laughed. "Quick," she said, "before we all fall asleep where we stand…"
Saash glanced around her, eyeing the area, and with a quick practiced flick of her tail laid out the boundaries of the spell, sweeping the area clean of random string influences
She smiled slightly at him. "Occupational hazard. I told you the rats were thick down there… about an eighth of an inch thick, at the moment.— You on call all alone this weekend?"
Carl nodded. "Tom's in Geneva at the Continental-regionals meeting; he'll be back Wednesday. I'm handling the whole East Coast, just now."
"Not much fun for you," Rhiow said, "having no one to split shifts with."
Carl waved the cappucino at her. "I drink a lot of this. I get jangled, but I survive."
Rhiow got up and shook herself again, not that it helped. "Well, give T'hom my best when you hear from him," she said. "Go well, Advisory… and watch out for that caffeine."
" Dai stihó, Rhiow," Carl said. "Stay in touch. And mind the rats."
"You got that in one," she said, and headed down the stairs.
* * *
When Rhiow got back down to the tracks, she found that Saash and Urruah had moved over to the far side, near the wall. Between them lay the kitling, now curled into a tight ball. He was cleaner: Saash was washing him, and looked up from that now as Rhiow came over.
"How is he?" Rhiow said.
"He woke for a moment," Saash said, "but went right out again— understandable. No bones broken, no internal injuries. He's just bitten up and shocked to exhaustion. Sleep's best for him, and a wizardry to kill the filth in the bites. But not here."
"No, indeed not," Rhiow said, glancing around. No ehhif terminal staff were out on the tracks as yet, but it wouldn't do for any to come along and find this kitling. The ehhif 's relations with terminal cats had become somewhat difficult over the last few years. Every now and then the place was "swept," and sick or indigent cats found there were taken away, along with sick or indigent ehhif who had also taken refuge in the tunnels for shelter rather than food. "Well, he's got to have somewhere to rest. But I can't help: the outside places near my den are too dangerous for a kit."
"I live in a Dumpster," Urruah said, with execrable pride. "There would be room… but I don't think it's the place for him if he's sick."
"No," Rhiow said, "but it's good of you to offer." She didn't say what she was thinking: that attempting to keep a young tom barely out of kittenhood in close company with a tom of siring age was a recipe for disaster, whether the tom lived in a Dumpster or a palace, and whether he was a wizard or not. Mature toms couldn't help their attitude toward kittens in general, and male ones in particular, no matter how they tried.
"I think I can put him up," Saash said. "There are a lot of places way down and back in the garage where the ehhif never go. One big high ledge that I use sometimes will serve: it's four levels down. None of the ehhif go down there except to fetch cars out, and not often— it's long-term storage space. This kitling won't be heard, even if he cries, and if I have to, I can lay a barrier to hold either him or the sound in till he's well enough to go."
"You'll have to spend some time there to be sure he's settled," Rhiow said, "and if he catches you, Abha'h will powder you again—"
Saash hissed softly, but the sound was resigned. "I suppose it's in a good cause," she said. "And I have to eat sometime; he'd catch me then anyway. Will you two lend a hand with the jump? I don't propose to carry him all the way home in my mouth."
"No problem. Urruah?"
"As long as she does the circle," Urruah said, emitting a cavernous yawn. The morning's exertions were beginning to catch up with him.
Rhiow yawned, too, then laughed. "Quick," she said, "before we all fall asleep where we stand…"
Saash glanced around her, eyeing the area, and with a quick practiced flick of her tail laid out the boundaries of the spell, sweeping the area clean of random string influences
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