Сумерки

           IfocusedonkeepingthevitalinterestIfeltoutofmyeyes.

           "Doyouknowanyofouroldstories,aboutwherewecamefrom-theQuileutes,Imean?"hebegan.

           "Notreally,"Iadmitted.

           "Well,therearelotsoflegends,someofthemclaimingtodatebacktotheFlood-supposedly,theancientQuileutestiedtheircanoestothetopsofthetallesttreesonthemountaintosurvivelikeNoahandtheark."Hesmiled,toshowmehowlittlestockheputinthehistories."Anotherlegendclaimsthatwedescendedfromwolves-andthatthewolvesareourbrothersstill.It’sagainsttriballawtokillthem.

           "Thentherearethestoriesaboutthecoldones."Hisvoicedroppedalittlelower.

           "Thecoldones?"Iasked,notfakingmyintriguenow.

           "Yes.Therearestoriesofthecoldonesasoldasthewolflegends,andsomemuchmorerecent.Accordingtolegend,myowngreat-grandfatherknewsomeofthem.Hewastheonewhomadethetreatythatkeptthemoffourland."Herolledhiseyes.

           "Yourgreat-grandfather?"Iencouraged.

           "Hewasatribalelder,likemyfather.Yousee,thecoldonesarethenaturalenemiesofthewolf-well,notthewolf,really,butthewolvesthatturnintomen,likeourancestors.Youwouldcallthemwerewolves."

           "Werewolveshaveenemies?"

           "Onlyone."

           Istaredathimearnestly,hopingtodisguisemyimpatienceasadmiration.

           "Soyousee,"Jacobcontinued,"thecoldonesaretraditionallyourenemies.Butthispackthatcametoourterritoryduringmygreat-grandfather’stimewasdifferent.