"Bailey-Conquistador" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bailey Dale)

fist she clasped a can of Diet Coke. With the unrelenting rhythm of an
automaton, her other hand made regular trips between her mouth and a bag of
Orville Redenbacher microwave popcorn.

She cocked an eye at Howard, staring mutely at the television from the far
corner of the couch. "Hello there, stranger," she said. "What's up?"

Howard cleared his throat and launched unthinking into it. He hadn't mentioned
the fish to Bethesda before, but all weekend he had attempted to be more
attentive to her needs than he had in recent years. If he'd failed it had been
only because of the icthyic visions which had washed over him with almost tidal
regularity since Friday afternoon. Now, when he'd finished, the last words
tumbling from him in a plaintive rush, Bethesda said, "Howard, how much is it?"

"Twelve hundred dollars," Howard said.

"Twelve hundred dollars! Howard, are you out of your mind?" She stabbed the
remote with her blunt finger and the television turned off abruptly. She turned
to look at him.

Howard stared back at her, searching her wide heavy face for some vestige of the
woman he had married. In those days, when Bethesda had been just Beth, it had
not mattered that they shared few interests. It had not even mattered that
Bethesda possessed few skills to contribute to their union, that Howard alone
would have to be responsible for their living. For Howard, it had been enough
that this cheerful, statuesque, even voluptuous woman had taken an interest in
him. These days, however, Howard rarely thought of Bethesda in such flattering
terms. These days, he usually just thought of her as fat.

"Howard!" Bethesda said. "Did you hear me?"

"Yes," Howard said. "I heard you. And no, I am not out of my mind."

"Then what makes you think we can afford a twelve hundred dollar fish?"

"We can afford it, barely. We afforded that!" He jabbed his finger at the
gigantic television.

"We're still paying for that! Don't you think this fish thing has gone far
enough? You never come upstairs with me anymore."

"Well, you never do anything. You just sit in this house and watch television."

"Well, you just sit down there and stare at your aquariums, Howard. Anyway, you
must have at least twelve hundred invested in the fish you already own. Not to
mention the equipment."

Howard stood up and paced to the window. Pulling aside the curtain, he stared
out into the night, but all he could see was the reflection of the den -as if
the house went on forever, an endless prison of joyless rooms. As if there was