Dogsbody Read Online Free

too much. Sirius was sick. It did not trouble him particularly, but Kathleen seemed to have a great deal of cleaning up to do. And while she was cleaning up, Sirius became aware of another presence.
    This being was large—at least as large as Kathleen and Robin put together—and reminded him, just a little, of the woman called Mrs. Partridge who had ordered the youth to drown him. She had the same certainty that she would get her own way. And she had—Sirius sensed at once—the same dislike of him. He cowered in the corner of the fender, feeling very small and helpless, while a hard, high voice beat the air about him. It was a voice that was at once very cold and full of all sorts of strong emotions.
    “. . . bringing this filthy little animal into my house without so much as a by-your-leave . . . not a scrap of consideration for
my
feelings . . . letting it make a mess all over the hearthrug, and goodness knows what germs it’s let loose. And what about the cats? You are a very thoughtless little girl, Kathleen. Lord knows, I’ve regretted every minute since Harry insisted on foisting you on me, but this is the last
straw
! It’s no good sitting there with that mulish look on your face, Kathleen. Robin, take the filthy little beast outside and drown it in the water butt.”
    “But, Duffie, somebody’d tried to drown him in the river!” Kathleen protested tremulously.
    “Whoever it was had more sense than you!” the being called Duffie retorted. “Just look at the mess! Robin, you heard me!”
    “I’m clearing the mess up,” Kathleen said miserably. “I’ll clear up any mess he makes, ever.”
    “It’s because he’s only little, Mum,” Robin explained. “He didn’t know when he’d had enough. But he’ll be awfully useful when he grows up. What if burglars get in your shop?”
    “There’s a perfectly good burglar alarm. For once and for all, I am not having a dirty dog in my house!”
    “Please, Duffie, let me keep him,” Kathleen pleaded. “I’ll make sure he isn’t dirty. He can be for a birthday present. I haven’t had one yet.”
    This made the owner of the cold voice pause. She gave a nasty sigh of annoyance that raised the hair along Sirius’s back. “And feed it and buy it a license and walk it and house-train it! I’d like to see a little sloven like you do all that! No.”
    “If you let me keep him,” Kathleen said desperately, “I’ll do anything you want. I’ll do all the housework and cook the meals, and everything. I promise.”
    There was another pause. “Well,” said the cold voice. “I suppose it’ll save me—All right. Keep the filthy thing. But don’t blame me if the cats tear it to pieces.”
    Then the large being was gone and the air was peaceful again. Sirius found himself being picked up and hugged.
    “Careful. You’ll make him sick again,” said Robin, and hewandered hastily off, for fear there might be more cleaning up to do.
    “You’ll be good, won’t you? I know you will,” Kathleen whispered to Sirius. Wet drops fell on his head and he wriggled. “You’ll be my very own faithful hound. I know you’re special, because of your eyes. We’ll have adventures together. And don’t you mind those cats. I’ll see they don’t hurt you.” Kathleen put Sirius gently back in his basket again and he fell asleep.
    By the evening, he was recovered enough to scramble out and go exploring. He went, rocking on his four unsteady paws, with his fluffy string of a tail whipping backwards and forwards to keep his balance, in among the feet of the family. His nose glistened from all the new scents. The cats sat high up on shelves or tables, watching him resentfully. Sirius could feel their annoyance, but he could also feel that they did not dare do anything while the people were there, so he took no notice of them and concentrated on the feet. The children’s feet had cloth and rubbery stuff over them. Robin’s and Kathleen’s were much the same size,