"Chalker, Jack L. - Dancing Gods 01 - The River of the Dancing Gods" - читать интересную книгу автора (Chalker Jack L)

"Keep safe, keep well, that's the Red Rooster sayin' that,
eastbound and down."
"Y'all have a safe one. This is the Nighthawk, westbound
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Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods
and backin' down."
Nighthawk put his mike into its little holder and backed
down to fifty. He wasn't in any hurry, and he wouldn't lose
much, even if this was nothing at all, not on this flat stretch.
The woman was beginning to falter, occasionally stumbling
in the scrub brush by the side of the road. She was starting to
think again, and that wasn't what she wanted at all. Finally
she stopped, knowing it was beyond her to take too many more
steps, and looked around. It was incredible how dark the desert
could be at night, even with more stars than city folk had ever
seen beaming down from overhead. No matter what, she knew
. she had to get some rest. Maybe just lie down over there in
the scrubЧget stung by a tarantula or a scorpion or whatever
else lived around here. Snake, maybe. She considered the idea
and was somewhat surprised that she cared about that. Nice
and quick, maybeЧbut painfully bitten or poisoned to death
by inches? That seemed particularly ugly. With everything else
so messed up, at least her exit ought to be clean, neat, and as
comfortable as these things could be. One thing in her life
4 THE RIVER OF DANCING GODS
should go right, damn it. And for the first time since she'd
jumped out of the car, she began to consider living againЧat
least a little bit longer, at least until the sunrise. She stopped
and looked up and down the highway for any sign of lights,
wondering what she'd do if she saw any. It would just as likely
be another Cal Hurder as anybody useful, particularly at this
ungodly hour in a place like this.
Lights approaching from the east told her a decision was
near, and soon. But she made no decision until the lights were
actually on her, and when she did, it was on impulse, without
any thought applied to it. She turned, put down her bags, and
stuck out her thumb.
Even with that and on the lookout for her, he almost missed
her. Spotting her, he hit the brakes and started gearing to a
stop by the side of the road, getting things stopped fully a
hundred yards west of her. Knowing this, he put the truck in
reverse and slowly backed up, eyeing the shoulder carefully
with his right mirror. After all this, he didn't want to be the
one to run her down.
Finally he saw her, or thought he did, just standing there,
looking at the huge monster approaching, doing nothing else
at all. For her part, she was unsure of just what to do next.
That huge rig was really intimidating, and so she just stood
there, trembling slightly.
Nighthawk frowned, realized she wasn't coming up to the