The Hunters - William Morrison, ebook, Temp
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
//-->The HuntersMorrison, William DouglasPublished:1953Type(s):Short Fiction, Science FictionSource:1Also available on Feedbooks for Morrison:•Divinity(1953)Copyright:This work is available for countries where copyright isLife+50.Note:This book is brought to you by Feedbooks.Strictly for personal use, do not use this file for commercial purposes.2To all who didn't know him, Curt George was a mighty hunter and act-or. But this time he was up against others who could really act, andwhose business was the hunting of whole worlds.There were thirty or more of the little girls, their ages ranging appar-ently from nine to eleven, all of them chirping away like a flock of chicksas they followed the old mother hen past the line of cages. "Now, now,girls," called Miss Burton cheerily. "Don't scatter. I can't keep my eye onyou if you get too far away from me. You, Hilda, give me that water pis-tol. No, don't fill it up first at that fountain. And Frances, stop bouncingyour ball. You'll lose it through the bars, and a polar bear may get it andnot want to give it back."Frances giggled. "Oh, Miss Burton, do you think the polar bear wouldwant to play catch?"The two men who were looking on wore pleased smiles. "Charming,"said Manto. "But somewhat unpredictable, despite all our experiences,muy amigo.""No attempts at Spanish, Manto, not here. It calls attention to us. Andyou are not sure of the grammar anyway. You may find yourself sayingthings you do not intend.""Sorry, Palit. It wasn't an attempt to show my skill, I assure you. It'sthat by now I have a tendency to confuse one language with another.""I know. You were never a linguist. But about these interestingcreatures—""I suggest that they could stand investigation. It would be good toknow how they think.""Whatever you say, Manto. If you wish, we shall join the little ladies.""We must have our story prepared first."Palit nodded, and the two men stepped under the shade of a treewhose long, drooping, leaf-covered branches formed a convenientscreen. For a moment, the tree hid silence. Then there came from beneaththe branches the chatter of girlish voices, and two little girls skippedmerrily away. Miss Burton did not at first notice that now she had an ad-ditional two children in her charge."Do you think you will be able to keep your English straight?" askedone of the new little girls.3The other one smiled with amusement and at first did not answer.Then she began to skip around her companion and chant, "I know asecret, I know a secret."There was no better way to make herself inconspicuous. For sometime, Miss Burton did not notice her.The polar bears, the grizzlies, the penguins, the reptiles, all were leftbehind. At times the children scattered, but Miss Burton knew how toget them together again, and not one was lost."Here, children, is the building where the kangaroos live. Who knowswhere kangaroos come from?""Australia!" clanged the shrill chorus."That's right. And what other animals come from Australia?""I know, Miss Burton!" cried Frances, a dark-haired nine-year-old witha pair of glittering eyes that stared like a pair of critics from a smallheart-shaped face. "I've been here before. Wallabies and wombats!""Very good, Frances."Frances smirked at the approbation. "I've been to the zoo lots of times,"she said to the girl next to her. "My father takes me.""I wish my father would take me too," replied the other little girl, withan air of wistfulness."Why don't you ask him to?" Before the other little girl could answer,Frances paused, cocked her head slightly, and demanded, "Who are you?You aren't in our class.""I'm in Miss Hassel's class.""Miss Hassel? Who is she? Is she in our school?""I don't know," said the other little girl uncertainly. "I go to P. S. 77—""Oh, Miss Burton," screamed Frances. "Here's a girl who isn't in ourclass! She got lost from her own class!""Really?" Miss Burton seemed rather pleased at the idea that some oth-er teacher had been so careless as to lose one of her charges. "What's yourname, child?""I'm Carolyn.""Carolyn what?"4"Carolyn Manto. Please, Miss Burton, I had to go to the bathroom, andthen when I came out—""Yes, yes, I know."A shrill cry came from another section of her class. "Oh, Miss Burton,here's another one who's lost!"The other little girl was pushed forward. "Now, who areyou?"MissBurton asked."I'm Doris Palit. I went with Carolyn to the bathroom—"Miss Burton made a sound of annoyance. Imagine losingtwochildrenand not noticing it right away. The other teacher must be frantic by now,and serve her right for being so careless."All right, you may stay with us until we find a policeman—" She in-terrupted herself. "Frances, what are you giggling at now?""It's Carolyn. She's making faces just like you!""Really, Carolyn, that isn't at all nice!"Carolyn's face altered itself in a hurry, so as to lose any resemblance toMiss Burton's. "I'm sorry, Miss Burton, I didn't really mean to do any-thing wrong.""Well, I'd like to know how you were brought up, if you don't knowthat it's wrong to mimic people to their faces. A big girl like you, too.How old are you, Carolyn?"Carolyn shrank, she hoped imperceptibly, by an inch. "I'm two—"An outburst of shrill laughter. "She's two years old, she's two yearsold!""I was going to say, I'mtowelve.Almost, anyway.""Eleven years old," said Miss Burton. "Old enough to know better.""I'm sorry, Miss Burton. And honest, Miss Burton, I didn't mean any-thing, but I'm studying to be an actress, and I imitate people, like the act-ors you see on television—""Oh, Miss Burton, please don't make her go home with a policeman. Ifshe's going to be an actress, I'll bet she'd love to see Curt George!""Well, after the way she's behaved, I don't know whether I should lether. I really don't.""Please, Miss Burton, it was an accident. I won't do it again."5
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]