"John Dalmas - The Second Coming" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dalmas John)

"Shit. Three thousand dollars." This time Carl's voice was pensive. "WellтАФ" He
turned to his older brother. "What do you say, Axel?"


It was Lute that Axel spoke to. "You'll have to stay around a day or two. Carl will talk
to some folks. Get the three thousand. You can help me with the chores."


Lute's eyes gleamed as he studied his uncles. He wondered what they'd say if they
knew who he planned to pitch to. Sarge was bigger than he was, and tougher, maybe
even smarter. And black. The grin reappeared, grew. "Sounds good," he said
cheerfully. Abruptly his face turned hard. "But be goddamn careful who you talk to
about this, and what you tell them, 'cause with that Anti-Terrorism Act, I'll be putting
my life on the line."
***
That touch of reality sobered Carl into silence. He left the kitchen, going to his
bedroom early, as usual. He was strong as a grizzly, but because of Axel's damaged
back and hip, Carl did all the heavy work. Someone had asked him once if he didn't
resent that. He'd answered he'd rather do the heavy work than go through what Axel
had, and anyway Axel was his brother.


Axel's back and hip also interfered with sleep, and he spent long hours on his recliner,
reading by the light of a Coleman lamp, sipping a little whiskey from time to time to
ease the discomfort. Lute sat on the other side of the lamp, also reading. Axel laid his
open book facedown on his lap, then took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his
nose. "D'you still read all the time, like when you were a boy?" he asked.


Lute snorted. "I never read all the time. I spent too much time cutting wood, chopping
and heaving out frozen cow shit, and fixing fence. And doing sports. The only way I
got through all those books was, I read fast."


"Well maybe you can tell me what the hell a jiggerton is. Or is jiggerton like saying
whatchamacallit, means whatever you want it to?"


Lute laughed. "You thinking about what Ngunda said?"


"No, I'm just curious."


"It's not jiggerton. It's gigaton, without any r. You got a dictionary?"


Axel gestured. "On the shelf. Next to the Bible."