"Chalker, Jack L - DG1 - The River of the Dancing Gods" - читать интересную книгу автора (Chalker Jack L)

Something snapped inside the driver. "No! You're Satan
come to steal me at the last minute! I know you now!" And,
with that, he fired three shots point-blank at Ruddygore.

The huge man didn't even flinch, but simply smiled, pursed
his lips, and spat out the three spent bullets. "Lousy aim," he
commented. "I really didn't catch any of them. I had to use
magic." He sighed sadly. The whistle sounded again, closer
now. "But I'm not the devil, Joe. I'm flesh and blood and I
live. I am not a man, but I was once a man, and still am more
than not. There are far worse things than your silly, primitive
devil, Joe -- that's part of what I'm fighting. Come with me --
now. Down to the dock."

Joe looked disgusted, both with Ruddygore and with the
pistol. "All right, Ruddygore, or whoever or whatever you are.
It don't make any difference, anyway. I can't go. Not if I can
save her. You understand the duty."

Ruddygore nodded sadly. "I feared as much when I saw her
in the cab. And for such a motive I can't stop you or blame
you. Damn! You wouldn't believe how much trouble all this
was, too. What a waste."

"Hey! Wait a minute!" the woman put in. "Don't / get to
say anything about this?"

They both looked at her expectantly.

"Look, if I had a million bucks, I'd bet that I'm still sound
asleep in that truck up there, speeding down a highway toward
El Paso, and that this is all a crazy dream. But it's a great
dream. The best I ever had. I'm on my way to kill myself.
I've had it -- up to here. I gave up on this stupid, crazy world.
So I'm dreaming -- or I'm psycho, in some funny world of my
own. Okay. I'll take it. It's better than real life. There's no
way I'm going back to that life. No way I'm getting back in
that truck, period. I've finally done it! Gone completely off
my rocker into a fantasy world that sounds pretty good to me."

Ruddy gore's face broke into a broad, beaming smile. He
looked over at the driver. "Joe? What do you say now?"

20

THE RIVER OF DANCING GODS

"Well, I heard her story and I can't say I blame her. But
I'm the one who's gone bananas, not her."