Книга All Flesh is Grass — читать онлайн бесплатно полностью

“Brad,” she said, “you know there is no fairyland.”

“An hour ago I knew,” I said. “I don't know any more.”

— Не хватало еще, чтобы ты верил в волшебство!

— Час назад не верил. А теперь не знаю...

We came out on Main Street and a big crowd was standing out in front of the village hall and more coming all the time. George Walker, the butcher at the Red Owl store, was running down the street, with his white apron tucked up into his belt and his white cap set askew upon his head. Norma Shepard, the receptionist at Doc Fabian's office, was standing on a box out on the sidewalk so that she could see what was going on, and Butch Ormsby, the owner of the service station just across the street from the hall, was standing at the kerb, wiping and wiping at his greasy hands with a ball of waste, as if he knew he would never get them clean, but was bound to keep on trying.

Мы выехали на Главную улицу, тут перед муниципалитетом собралась толпа, все время подходили еще и еще люди. Подбежал Джордж Уокер, мясник из магазина «Рыжий филин»: край белого фартука заткнут за пояс, белый полотняный колпак съехал на ухо.

Nancy pulled the car up into the approach to the filling station and shut off the motor.

A man came across the concrete apron and stopped beside the car. He leaned down and rested his folded arms on the top part of the door.

“How are things going, pal?” he asked.

Нэнси подвела машину к бензоколонке и заглушила мотор.

Размашисто шагая по бетонной площадке, к нам подошел какой-то человек. Наклонился, оперся скрещенными руками о дверцу.

— Ну, приятель, как дела?  — спросил он.

I looked at him for a moment, not remembering him at first, then suddenly remembering.

“Yeah,” he said, “the guy who smacked your car.

“ He straightened and reached out his hand.

Минуту я смотрел на него, не узнавая, и вдруг вспомнил. Он, видно, понял.

— Угу,  — подтвердил он.  — Я самый. Это я разбил твою машину.

Он выпрямился и протянул руку.

“Name is Gabriel Thomas,” he said. “You just call me Gabe. We never got around to trading names down there.