Рассказ адаптировала Ольга Рудницкая 4 страница

No feeling in his legs.

He looked down and saw that the Plymouth's firewall had caved in with the impact. The back of that big Cyclone Spoiler engine block had smashed into his legs, pinning them.

Outside, in the distance, the predatory squawk of an owl dropping onto some small, scurrying animal.

Inside, close, the steady purr of the cat.

It seemed to be grinning, like Alice's Cheshire had in Wonderland.

As Halston watched it stood up, arched its back, and stretched (Хэлстон видел, как кот встал, выгнул спину и потянулся). In a sudden limber movement like rippled silk (/одним/ внезапным гибким/проворным движением, словно струящийся шелк; to ripple – покрыватьсярябью; струиться), it leaped to his shoulder (кот прыгнул на его плечо). Halston tried to lift his hands to push it off (Хэлстон попытался поднять руки, чтобы оттолкнуть его).

His arms wouldn't move (его руки не двигались).

Spinal shock, he thought (спинальный шок,подумал он; spine – спиннойхребет; позвоночник). Paralyzed (парализован). Maybe temporary (возможно, временно). More likely permanent (скорее всего, постоянно/навсегда).

The cat purred in his ear like thunder (кот мурлыкал ему в ухо, и это звук казался раскатами грома: «словно гром»).

“Get off me (убирайся: «слезь с меня»),” Halston said. His voice was hoarse and dry (голос был сиплым: «хриплым и сухим»). The cat tensed for a moment and then settled back (кот напрягся на мгновение, а затем снова уселся = расслабился). Suddenly its paw batted Halston's cheek, and the claws were out this time (неожиданно его лапа ударила Хэлстона по щеке, и когти на этот раз были выпущены). Hot lines of pain down to his throat (горячие полоски боли = резкая боль спустилась к его горлу/шее).

And the warm trickle of blood (и теплая струйка крови).

Pain (боль).

Feeling (чувствительность /вернулась/).

He ordered his head to move to the right, and it complied (он приказал голове повернуться вправо, и она подчинилась; to comply – делать уступки; выполнять /просьбу, приказ/). For a moment his face was buried in smooth, dry fur (на мгновение его лицо погрузилось в гладкий, сухой мех; to bury – хоронить; погружаться). Halston snapped at the cat (Хэлстон укусил кота; to snap – щелкать; цапнуть, укусить). It made a startled, disgruntled sound in its throat – yowk! – and leaped onto the seat (он издал испуганный, раздраженный звук своим горлом – яу! – и отпрыгнул на сиденье; to disgruntle – сердить, раздражать). It stared up at him angrily, ears laid back (прижав уши к голове, он сердито уставился на Хэлстона).

spinal ['spaInl], temporary ['temp(q)rqrI], permanent ['pq:mqnqnt], thunder ['TAndq], hoarse [hLs], blood [blAd]

As Halston watched it stood up, arched its back, and stretched. In a sudden limber movement like rippled silk, it leaped to his shoulder. Halston tried to lift his hands to push it off.

His arms wouldn't move.

Spinal shock, he thought. Paralyzed. Maybe temporary. More likely permanent.

The cat purred in his ear like thunder.

“Get off me,” Halston said. His voice was hoarse and dry. The cat tensed for a moment and then settled back. Suddenly its paw batted Halston's cheek, and the claws were out this time. Hot lines of pain down to his throat.

And the warm trickle of blood.

Pain.

Feeling.

He ordered his head to move to the right, and it complied. For a moment his face was buried in smooth, dry fur. Halston snapped at the cat. It made a startled, disgruntled sound in its throat – yowk! – and leaped onto the seat. It stared up at him angrily, ears laid back.

“Wasn't supposed to do that, was I (не думал, что я это сделаю, да)?” Halston croaked (прохрипел Хэлстон; to croak – каркать; хрипеть). The cat opened its mouth and hissed at him (кот открыл пасть и зашипел на него). Looking at that strange, schizophrenic face (глядя на эту странную, шизофреническую морду), Halston could understand how Drogan might have thought it was a hellcat (Хэлстон смог понять, почему Дроган подумал, что это кот из ада; may – выражаетпредположение, основанноенанеуверенности). It (он) –

His thoughts broke off as he became aware of a dull, tingling feeling in both hands and forearms (его мысли внезапно прервались, когда он почувствовал слабое покалывающее ощущение = слабоепокалывание в обеих кистях и в предплечьях; to break off – отламывать; внезапнопрекращать, обрывать/разговорит. п./; dull – тупой; притупленный).

Feeling (чувствительность). Coming back (возвращается). Pins and needles (будто иголками покалывает; pins and needles – покалывание /когда часть тела "отходит" после пережатия, онемения и т.д./: «булавки и иголки»).

The cat leaped at his face, claws out, spitting (кот с шипением бросился ему на лицо, /выпустив/ когти наружу).

Halston shut his eyes and opened his mouth (Хэлстон закрыл глаза и открыл рот). He bit at the cat's belly and got nothing but fur (он укусил кота в живот, но ухватил только шерсть; to bite). The cat's front claws were clasped on his ears, digging in (передние лапы вцепились ему в уши; to clasp – скреплять; сжимать, крепко схватить). The pain was enormous, brightly excruciating (боль была чудовищной, невероятно мучительной; enormous – громадный; чудовищный; brightly – ярко; to excruciate – истязать, мучить). Halston tried to raise his hands (Хэлстон попытался поднять руки).

They twitched but would not quite come out of his lap (они дернулись, но почти не = такине оторвались от коленей; to come off – покидать; отрываться).

croak [krqVk], schizophrenic ["skItsq'frenIk], enormous [I'nLmqs], excruciate [Iks'krHSIeIt]

“Wasn't supposed to do that, was I?” Halston croaked. The cat opened its mouth and hissed at him. Looking at that strange, schizophrenic face, Halston could understand how Drogan might have thought it was a hellcat. It –

His thoughts broke off as he became aware of a dull, tingling feeling in both hands and forearms.

Feeling. Coming back. Pins and needles.

The cat leaped at his face, claws out, spitting.

Halston shut his eyes and opened his mouth. He bit at the cat's belly and got nothing but fur. The cat's front claws were clasped on his ears, digging in. The pain was enormous, brightly excruciating. Halston tried to raise his hands.

They twitched but would not quite come out of his lap.

He bent his head forward and began to shake it back and forth (он нагнул голову вперед и принялся трясти ею во все стороны: «взад и вперед»), like a man shaking soap out of his eyes (как человек, которому в глаза попало мыло: «вытряхивающий мыло из глаз»). Hissing and squalling, the cat held on (шипя и повизгивая, кошка продолжала держаться). Halston could feel blood trickling down his cheeks (Хэлстон чувствовал, как по его щекам струится кровь). It was hard to get his breath (было трудно дышать: «получить воздух»; breath – дыхание; вдыхаемый и выдыхаемый воздух). The cat's chest was pressed over his nose (к его носу была прижата грудь кота). It was possible to get some air in by mouth, but not much (можно было вдохнуть воздуха через рот, но не много). What he did get came through fur (то, что он вдыхал, проходило сквозь шерсть). His ears felt as if they had been doused with lighter fluid and then set on fire (уши ощущались = горели так, как будто их облили горючей жидкостью и подожгли; lighter – зажигалка).

He snapped his head back and cried out in agony (он откинул голову назад и заорал от страшной боли) – he must have sustained a whiplash when the Plymouth hit (очевидно, при ударе “плимута” он повредил себе шею; to sustain – поддерживать; испытывать; переносить, претерпевать; whiplash – ремень или бечева плети, хлыста; /= whiplash injury/ хлыстовая травма шеи /травма от внезапного резкого движения головы и шеи/). But the cat hadn't been expecting the reverse and it flew off (но кот не ожидал движения назад и слетел = не удержался). Halston heard it thud down in the back seat (Хэлстон услышал, как он плюхнулся на заднее сиденье).

squall [skwɔ:l], sustain [sq'steIn], whiplash ['wIplxS]

He bent his head forward and began to shake it back and forth, like a man shaking soap out of his eyes. Hissing and squalling, the cat held on. Halston could feel blood trickling down his cheeks. It was hard to get his breath. The cat's chest was pressed over his nose. It was possible to get some air in by mouth, but not much. What he did get came through fur. His ears felt as if they had been doused with lighter fluid and then set on fire.

He snapped his head back and cried out in agony – he must have sustained a whiplash when the Plymouth hit. But the cat hadn't been expecting the reverse and it flew off. Halston heard it thud down in the back seat.

A trickle of blood ran in his eye (струйка крови затекла в один глаз). He tried again to move his hands (он снова попытался пошевелить руками), to raise one of them and wipe the blood away (поднять одну из них и вытереть кровь).

They trembled in his lap (они подрагивали у него на коленях), but he was still unable to actually move them (но он все еще не мог их сдвинуть). He thought of the.45 special in its holster under his left arm (он вспомнил про свой специальный револьвер 45‑го калибра в кобуре под левой рукой).

If I can get to my piece, kitty, the rest of your nine lives are going in a lump sum (если я /только/ смогу дотянуться до ствола, киска, остаток твоих девяти жизней пропадет одним разом; piece – кусок; деталь; /разг./ пушка, ствол; lump sum – единовременно выплачиваемая полнаясумма; общий итог; lump – глыба, ком; целое, масса).

More tingles now (снова покалывание, уже сильнее: «больше покалываний теперь»). Dull throbs of pain from his feet, buried and surely shattered under the engine block (тупая, пульсирующая боль в ступнях, зажатых и, конечно же, раздробленных двигателем; throb – биение, пульсация), zips and tingles from his legs (постреливание и покалывание в ногах) – it felt exactly the way a limb that you've slept on does when it's starting to wake up (ощущение точно такое же, как в ноге или руке на которой вы спали = которую вы отлежали во сне, когда она начинает отходить: «просыпаться»; limb – конечность; рука или нога). At that moment Halston didn't care about his feet (в тот момент Хэлстон не беспокоился о ступнях). It was enough to know that his spine wasn't severed (/ему/ было достаточно знать, что позвоночник не разорван), that he wasn't going to finish out his life as a dead lump of body attached to a talking head (что ему не придется провести остаток жизни в качестве мертвого куска плоти, прикрепленного к говорящей голове).

Maybe I had a few lives left myself (может, у меня самого осталось /в запасе/ несколько жизней).

blood [blAd], holster ['hqVlstq], sever ['sevq]

A trickle of blood ran in his eye. He tried again to move his hands, to raise one of them and wipe the blood away.

They trembled in his lap, but he was still unable to actually move them. He thought of the.45 special in its holster under his left arm.

If I can get to my piece, kitty, the rest of your nine lives are going in a lump sum.

More tingles now. Dull throbs of pain from his feet, buried and surely shattered under the engine block, zips and tingles from his legs – it felt exactly the way a limb that you've slept on does when it's starting to wake up. At that moment Halston didn't care about his feet. It was enough to know that his spine wasn't severed, that he wasn't going to finish out his life as a dead lump of body attached to a talking head.

Maybe I had a few lives left myself.

Take care of the cat (/теперь надо/ разобраться с кошкой; to take care of… – /по/заботиться о чем‑либо, ком‑либо; разделаться, расправиться с кем‑либо). That was the first thing (это самое главное). Then get out of the wreck (потом выбраться из покореженного автомобиля; wreck – остов разбитого судна; обломки /самолета, автомобиля/) – maybe someone would come along (может, кто‑нибудь будет проходить/проезжать мимо), that would solve both problems at once (это решило бы обе проблемы сразу). Not likely at 4:30 in the morning on a back road like this one, but barely possible (/что/ маловероятно в половине пятого утра на проселочной дороге как эта; not likely but barely possible – не вероятно, а едва возможно; back – спинной; задний; глухой, отдаленный). And –

And what was the cat doing back there (а что там кошка сзади делает)?

He didn't like having it on his face (ему не хотелось иметь ее на своем лице), but he didn't like having it behind him and out of sight, either (но то, что она была сзади вне его поля зрения, ему тоже не нравилось). He tried the rearview mirror, but that was useless (он попробовал /посмотреть в/ зеркало заднего вида, но бесполезно). The crash had knocked it awry (от удара оно сдвинулось набок) and all it reflected was the grassy ravine he had finished up in (и все, что оно отражало = в нем отражалось, /это лишь/ заросший травой овраг, в котором закончилось его путешествие).

A sound from behind him, like low, ripping cloth (сзади /послышался/ негромкий звук, как будто разрываемой ткани).

Purring (урчание).

Hellcat my ass (вот ведь чертов кот). It's gone to sleep back there (он там заснул).

wreck [rek], barely ['beqlI], awry [q'raI]

Take care of the cat. That was the first thing. Then get out of the wreck – maybe someone would come along, that would solve both problems at once. Not likely at 4:30 in the morning on a back road like this one, but barely possible. And –

And what was the cat doing back there?

He didn't like having it on his face, but he didn't like having it behind him and out of sight, either. He tried the rearview mirror, but that was useless. The crash had knocked it awry and all it reflected was the grassy ravine he had finished up in.

A sound from behind him, like low, ripping cloth.

Purring.

Hellcat my ass. It's gone to sleep back there.

And even if it hadn't (ну, а если даже не уснул), even if it was somehow planning murder (если даже он каким‑то образом замышляет убийство = обдумывает, как его убить), what could it do (что он = этоткот может сделать)? It was a skinny little thing (тощая маленькая тварь), probably weighed all of four pounds soaking wet (весит, наверное, фунта четыре, /да и то, когда/ мокрый; soaking wet – промокшийнасквозь; to soak – пропитываться; впитываться). And soon... soon he would be able to move his hands enough to get his gun (cкоро он сможет двигать руками настолько, чтобы дотянуться до своего пистолета). He was sure of it (в этом он был уверен).

Halston sat and waited (сидел и ждал). Feeling continued to flood back into his body in a series of pins‑and‑needles incursions (чувствительность продолжала возвращаться к нему, напоминая о себе почти уже непрерывными булавочными уколами: «вливаться обратно в его тело в виде ряда приступов покалывания»; incursion – набег, вторжение, внезапное нападение; наступление /моря/). Absurdly (or maybe in instinctive reaction to his close brush with death) (как ни нелепо (а может, это инстинктивная реакция на близкое соприкосновение со смертью?)) he got an erection for a minute or so (/уже/ в течение минуты или около того у него была эрекция). Be kind of hard to beat off under present circumstances (трудновато было бы мастурбировать при таких обстоятельствах), he thought.

A dawn‑line was appearing in the eastern sky (на востоке: «восточном небе» появилась /светлая/ полоска рассвета). Somewhere a bird sang (где‑то запела птица).

weigh [weI], flood [flAd], circumstance ['sWkqmstxns]

And even if it hadn't, even if it was somehow planning murder, what could it do? It was a skinny little thing, probably weighed all of four pounds soaking wet. And soon... soon he would be able to move his hands enough to get his gun. He was sure of it.

Halston sat and waited. Feeling continued to flood back into his body in a series of pins‑and‑needles incursions. Absurdly (or maybe in instinctive reaction to his close brush with death) he got an erection for a minute or so. Be kind of hard to beat off under present circumstances, he thought.

A dawn‑line was appearing in the eastern sky. Somewhere a bird sang.

Halston tried his hands again (снова попытался пошевелить руками) and got them to move an eighth of an inch before they fell back (и смог приподнять их лишь на восьмую часть дюйма, прежде чем = послечего они вновь упали).

Not yet (нет пока). But soon (но скоро).

A soft thud on the seatback beside him (/послышался/ слабый удар по спинке соседнего с ним кресла). Halston turned his head and looked into the black‑white face (Хэлстон обернулся и посмотрел на черно‑белую морду), the glowing eyes with their huge dark pupils (горящие глаза с огромными темными зрачками).

Halston spoke to it (заговорил с ним = котом).

"I have never blown a hit once I took it on, kitty (я никогда не проваливал задания, за которое взялся, киска; to blow – дуть; упустить /возможность, шанс/; проиграть; проворонить). This could be a first (это могло бы стать первым). I'm getting my hands back (скоро я снова обрету руки). Five minutes, ten at most (/еще/ пять, ну, от силы десять минут). You want my advice (хочешь совет)? Go out the window (выпрыгивай в окно). They're all open (они все открыты). Go out and take your tail with you (убирайся и уноси с собой свой хвост)."

The cat stared at him (кот таращился на него).

eighth [eItθ], pupil ['pjHp(q)l], advice [qd'vaIs]

Halston tried his hands again and got them to move an eighth of an inch before they fell back.

Not yet. But soon.

A soft thud on the seatback beside him. Halston turned his head and looked into the black‑white face, the glowing eyes with their huge dark pupils.

Halston spoke to it.

"I have never blown a hit once I took it on, kitty. This could be a first. I'm getting my hands back. Five minutes, ten at most. You want my advice? Go out the window. They're all open. Go out and take your tail with you."

The cat stared at him.

Halston tried his hands again (еще раз проверил руки). They came up, trembling wildly (они поднялись, отчаянно трясясь). Half an inch (на пол‑дюйма). An inch. He let them fall back limply (он позволил им вяло шлепнуться обратно). They slipped off his lap and thudded to the Plymouth's seat (они соскользнули с его колен и ударились о сиденье машины). They glimmered there palely, like large tropical spiders (они бледно мерцали там, словно огромные тропические пауки).

The cat was grinning at him (кот ухмылялся, глядя на него).

Did I make a mistake (я сделал ошибку)?, he wondered confusedly (подумал он спутано/как сквозь сон). He was a creature of hunch (он был существом/человеком интуиции; hunch – толчок; подозрение, предчувствие; интуиция), and the feeling that he had made one was suddenly overwhelming (и чувство, что он в чем‑то ошибся: «сделал ошибку», стало вдруг неодолимым = внезапно охватило его со всей силой; to overwhelm – преодолеть; подавить; переполнять, овладевать /о чувствах/). Then the cat's body tensed (тут кошачье тело напряглось), and even as it leaped (и в ту секунду, когда кот прыгнул; even – плоский, ровный; точный; точно, ровно, как раз), Halston knew what it was going to do (Хэлстон понял, что тот собирается сделать) and he opened his mouth to scream (и открыл рот, чтобы закричать).

The cat landed on Halston's crotch, claws out, digging (кот опустился ему на промежность, выпуская когти и впиваясь /ими в тело/).

confusedly [kqn'fjHzIdlI], creature ['krJCq], overwhelming ["qVvq'welmIN]

Halston tried his hands again. They came up, trembling wildly. Half an inch. An inch. He let them fall back limply. They slipped off his lap and thudded to the Plymouth's seat. They glimmered there palely, like large tropical spiders.

The cat was grinning at him.

Did I make a mistake?, he wondered confusedly. He was a creature of hunch, and the feeling that he had made one was suddenly overwhelming. Then the cat's body tensed, and even as it leaped, Halston knew what it was going to do and he opened his mouth to scream.

The cat landed on Halston's crotch, claws out, digging.

At that moment, Halston wished he had been paralyzed (в этот момент Хэлстон пожелал /действительно/ быть парализованным = пожалел, что он и вправду не парализован). The pain was gigantic, terrible (боль была гигантская, ужасная/кошмарная). He had never suspected that there could be such pain in the world (он даже представить себе не мог, что на свете существует подобная боль; to suspect – подозревать; предполагать, допускать). The cat was a spitting coiled spring of fury, clawing at his balls (кот был одним шипящим комком: «сжатой пружиной» ярости, вонзающей когти в его яйца; to coil – свертывать кольцом, спиралью /веревку, проволоку/; ball – шар).

Halston did scream, his mouth yawning open (закричал, широко раскрыв рот), and that was when the cat changed direction and leaped at his face (и тогда кот развернулся: «изменил направление» и прыгнул на его лицо), leaped at his mouth (на его рот). And at that moment Halston knew that it was something more than a cat (в этот самый момент Хэлстон осознал, что это /действительно/ нечто большее, чем просто кот). It was something possessed of a malign, murderous intent (это – злобное существо, охваченное стремлением убивать: «нечто, одержимое злобным стремлением убивать»; murderous intent – намерение совершить убийство).

He caught one last glimpse of that black‑and‑white face below the flattened ears (он в последний раз увидел эту черно‑белую морду под плотно прижатыми /к голове/ ушами; to catch – ловить; поймать; glimpse – проблеск, слабый свет; быстрый взгляд; беглый взгляд; to flatten – делать плоским, ровным), its eyes enormous and filled with lunatic hate (с громадными, наполненными сумасшедшей ненавистью глазами). It had gotten rid of the three old people and now it was going to get rid of John Halston (он = кот уже избавился от трех стариков, и теперь собирался избавится от Джона Хэлстона).

gigantic [GaI'gxntIk], possessed [pq'zest], malign [mq'laIn]

At that moment, Halston wished he had been paralyzed. The pain was gigantic, terrible. He had never suspected that there could be such pain in the world. The cat was a spitting coiled spring of fury, clawing at his balls.

Halston did scream, his mouth yawning open, and that was when the cat changed direction and leaped at his face, leaped at his mouth. And at that moment Halston knew that it was something more than a cat. It was something possessed of a malign, murderous intent.

He caught one last glimpse of that black‑and‑white face below the flattened ears, its eyes enormous and filled with lunatic hate. It had gotten rid of the three old people and now it was going to get rid of John Halston.

It rammed into his mouth, a furry projectile (кот ворвался в его рот, подобно мохнатому снаряду; ram – баран; таран; to ram – налететь, врезаться /куда‑либо/ с силой; вдалбливать, вгонять). He gagged on it (Хэлстон давился им). Its front claws pinwheeled (передние лапы работали как шестерни; pinwheel – цевочное колесо), tattering his tongue like a piece of liver (в клочья разрывая его язык, как кусок мяса: «печени»). His stomach recoiled and he vomited (желудок сжался в комок, и его вырвало; to recoil – отскочить, отпрыгнуть; откатываться /об орудии/; испытывать омерзение, отвращение). The vomit ran down into his windpipe, clogging it (рвотные массы попали: «сбежали вниз» в дыхательное горло, перекрыв его; clog – препятствие, помеха; to clog – засорять, забивать), and he began to choke (и он стал задыхаться).

In this extremity, his will to survive overcame the last of the impact paralysis (в таком отчаянном положении его воля к жизни преодолела остатки паралича, вызванного ударом; extremity – конец, край; крайняя опасность; крайняя нужда; to survive – остаться в живых, выжить, уцелеть). He brought his hands up slowly to grasp the cat (он медленно поднял руки, чтобы схватить кошку). Oh my God (о боже), he thought.

The cat was forcing its way into his mouth (кошка протискивалась: «с силой прокладывала себе путь» в его рот; force – сила; to force – с силой преодолевать сопротивление), flattening its body (расплющивала = вытягивала свое тело), squirming (извивалась), working itself farther and farther in (и забиралась все глубже и глубже: «дальше» вовнутрь). He could feel his jaws creaking wider and wider to admit it (Хэлстон чувствовал, как трещат его челюсти, /раскрываясь/ все шире и шире, чтобы впустить ее; to creak – скрипеть).

He reached to grab it, yank it out, destroy it (он потянулся, чтобы схватить ее, вырвать ее /изо рта/)... and his hands clasped only the cat's tail (но его ладони сжали один только кошачий хвост).

Somehow it had gotten its entire body into his mouth (каким‑то образом ей удалось втиснуть ему в рот все свое тело). Its strange, black‑and‑white face must be crammed into his very throat (/сейчас/ ее странная черно‑белая морда, должно быть, просунулась внутрь его горла: «в само горло»; to cram – впихивать, втискивать).

projectile [prq'GektaIl], liver ['lIvq], stomach ['stAmqk]

It rammed into his mouth, a furry projectile. He gagged on it. Its front claws pinwheeled, tattering his tongue like a piece of liver. His stomach recoiled and he vomited. The vomit ran down into his windpipe, clogging it, and he began to choke.

In this extremity, his will to survive overcame the last of the impact paralysis. He brought his hands up slowly to grasp the cat. Oh my God, he thought.

The cat was forcing its way into his mouth, flattening its body, squirming, working itself farther and farther in. He could feel his jaws creaking wider and wider to admit it.

He reached to grab it, yank it out, destroy it... and his hands clasped only the cat's tail.

Somehow it had gotten its entire body into his mouth. Its strange, black‑and‑white face must be crammed into his very throat.

A terrible thick gagging sound came from Halston's throat (ужасный клокочущий хрип: «хриплый сдавленный/клокочущий звук» вырвался из глотки Хэлстона; thick – толстый; густой; хриплый, сиплый, низкий /о голосе/; to gag – давиться; тужиться /при рвоте/), which was swelling like a flexible length of garden hose (растянутой, как гибкий/мягкий садовый шланг: «гибкий кусок садового шланга»; to swell – надуваться, раздуваться).

His body twitched (его тело задергалось). His hands fell back into his lap (кисти рук снова упали на колени) and the fingers drummed senselessly on his thighs (и потерявшие чувствительность пальцы забарабанили по бедрам). His eyes sheened over, then glazed (глаза блеснули и тут же остекленели). They stared out through the Plymouth's windshield blankly at the coming dawn (они безучастно таращились сквозь лобовое стекло “плимута” на зарождающийся рассвет; blank – чистый, пустой; blankly – безучастно; невыразительно, тупо).

Protruding from his open mouth was two inches of bushy tail (из его раскрытого рта торчал двухдюймовый кончик пушистого хвоста; bush – куст; bushy – покрытый кустарником; лохматый, пушистый)... half black, half white. It switched lazily back and forth (он лениво раскачивался взад и вперед).

It disappeared (/потом/ исчез).

A bird cried somewhere again (где‑то снова закричала птица). Dawn came in breathless silence then, over the frost‑rimmed fields of rural Connecticut (и тогда, в безмолвной: «бездыханной/безветренной» тишине, на покрытые изморозью поля провинциального Коннектикута пришел рассвет; rim – ободок; край; to rim – обрамлять, окаймлять; rural – деревенский, сельский).

protrude [prq'trHd], windshield ['wIndSJld], bushy ['bVSI]

A terrible thick gagging sound came from Halston's throat, which was swelling like a flexible length of garden hose.

His body twitched. His hands fell back into his lap and the fingers drummed senselessly on his thighs. His eyes sheened over, then glazed. They stared out through the Plymouth's windshield blankly at the coming dawn.

Protruding from his open mouth was two inches of bushy tail... half black, half white. It switched lazily back and forth.