"David,.Peter.-.Fantastic.Four.the.Movie" - читать интересную книгу автора (David Peter)

"I don't, squirt," replied Ben. "The point is ... he does."

As Von Doom walked briskly through the corridor, he made certain to check his appearance in even- reflected surface that he passed. If Leonard noticed this, he made it a point to studiously avoid mentioning it. Instead he was reading some notes off a handheld organizer that he was sure Von Doom was going to want to be apprised of. "Our numbers are through the roof," he said. "The IPO's tracking at fifty, sixty a share. The bank's five times oversubscribed..."
Victor waved him off as if Leonard was giving him the weather report in Iceland. "It's not just the money. I can make money in my sleep."
This was news to Leonard. Not that Von Doom could make money in his sleep, but that he cared about anything else while he was awake. "Then what is it?" he asked.
"History, Leonard. History," he emphasized. "Everything else is conversation." His mind had already departed from the status of their stocks and moved on to weightier considerations. "How's the other matter?"
Leonard promptly reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a black ring box. He flipped it open to reveal a ten-karat diamond ring. This was enough to bring even Victor Von Doom to a halt for a heartbeat as he gazed upon something that was more beautiful than he himself ... at least marginally so. His breath caught as he stared at the tiny flames that seemed to dance within each facet "Ham' Winston sends his regards," Leonard added.

Von Doom smiled approvingly, then hurriedly gestured for Leonard to shove the ring back in his pocket Leonard did so, then Victor turned to face the large double doors through which he was about to make his entrance. He glanced one final time at his reflection on the metallic wall, adjusted one last errant strand of hair that didn't seem to know its place, and then shoved through the doors to greet his public.
A barrage of camera flashes went off in his face as reporters shouted, "There he is!" and "Look this way, Victor!"
The perfect smile came easily to him, so naturally :nat one would have thought it truly was natural. He remembered when he had first begun the meticulous process of creating his public persona. Imagination, as was so often the case in matters of invention, became actualization. He had determined what he wanted the public Victor Von Doom to be: the stirring orator, the visionary, with the sparkling looks and easy, scintillating wit He had cloaked himself within Von Doom, created a metaphorical mask behind which he had hidden the true Victor. The irony of it was that he had been sporting the mask for so long that whatever the "true" Victor was-what merits or foibles he might have had-were long gone and forgotten. The mask was permanent now, fitting him as easily as if it was the face he was born with.
He spread his arms, taking in the entirety of the makeshift press area with one, grand gesture. "Today we stand on the edge of the new frontier!" he called out. "In the furthest depths of outer space ... we will find the
secrets to inner space. The final key to unlocking our genetic code lies in a cosmic storm . . ."
Ben was mouthing the words along with Von Doom as he, Reed, Sue, and Johnny made their way past the podium upon which Yon Doom was standing. He certainly knew the words well enough, having heard Reed say them plenty of times. Reed was pointedly not looking in Von Doom's direction, clearly trying to screen out what Ben knew to be the truth. He had no desire to rub Reed's nose in it, and yet he felt the need to underscore for his friend what a duplicitous creep Von Doom could be ... just in case Reed made the mistake of trusting him. "Isn't that your speech?" he asked with feigned innocence.
"He's made a few changes," Reed said uncom incingly.
Ben shook his head. He knew what Reed's priorities were, knew that his interest was the betterment of mankind, not the betterment of Reed Richards. Still, it gnawed at Ben, and he couldn't understand how it wasn't bothering Reed on some level at least. "This- is your dream, Reed. You should be the one up there."
Reed shrugged. "Victor's better at these things."
That hardly seemed like a reason to shun the spotlight as far as Ben was concerned, but then he spotted something just beyond the press area that made his conversation with Reed take a distant second in importance. It was the one thing in the world that could prompt him not to live up to his surname of "Grimm."
It was Debbie Sohn, Ben's fiancee. There was some-

thing about the odd-yet-attractive arrangement of her features that prompted Ben to smile just looking at the sweet-faced blonde. Indeed, that was what attracted him to her in the first place when they'd initially encountered each other in passing at a bookstore. Reed had been with him, and when he'd seen Ben smiling, he'd been so thunderstruck that he thought Ben was in massive amounts of pain and grimacing in order to cover it. Upon learning that a girl was causing that response in Ben, Reed had insisted that Ben approach her immediately, get to know her. and if at all possible, never let her go. Since Ben never questioned the fact that Reed was far smarter than he. he had taken Richards up on his advice and hadn't regretted it since.
Ben walked over toward Debbie, embraced her, kissed her tenderly. Johnny slowed down, and Ben noticed out the corner of his eye that Johnny was giving Debbie the appraising once-over. A single raised eyebrow told Ben all he needed to know: that Johnny was impressed, and probably even wondering what in the world a looker like Debbie saw in Ben Grimm. Ben would have been offended by the attitude except that he'd wondered much the same thing practically every dav of their relationship.
He also saw Reed looking at the two of them, and then glancing over toward Sue. Sue walked right past without even looking their way or. more significantly. Reed's way. Aw, Reed, fa dumb-ass, what's it gonna take, huh? Gonna wait until Sue's beyond yer reach forever? He didn't say it aloud, though, since he suspected he knew the answer.



Chapter 3
"HE LOOKS RIGHT THROUGH ME. LIKE I'M NOT EVEN there."
It was two days before the shuttle launch, and Sue Storm was meeting her brother for drinks at one of their favorite watering holes, Diablo's. She was staring at her scotch, neat while Johnny kept pointedly checking his watch. Not pointedly enough, though, to gamer Sue's attention.
"You have no idea how frustrating it is." Sue continued, slurring her words slightly. "We're supposed to be working together on this project preparing for the launch, side by side. And I'm sending out signals. Definite, unmistakable signals."
"What kind?" asked Johnny.
"Mixed," she admitted. "I suppose that could be the problem right there."
"Y' think?" He paused, and then said, "Look, Sue . .. you know my thoughts about the guy. They haven't changed. But your life is your life. And have you considered that you might be ... I dunno . . . putting up


shields? I mean, let's face it, the guy hurt you pretty
badly last time. And maybe you just don't want to get
hurt again. Maybe he looks through you because you
don't want him to notice you. and maybe you're doing
whatever vou can to keep him away in the first place."
"So you're saying it's all my fault. Some brother . . ."
"Sue," Johnnv assured her, putting a hand on hers, "I
have enough ex-girlfriends on my resume to tell you that
if I never hear anything having to do with concepts like
assigning blame. I'll be a happv camper. I'm not saying
anything is your tault. because fault means that there's
wrongdoing. No one's doing anything wrong here. Reed
is what he is, and you are what you are. However far the
two of you can come to accommodating whatever
screwed-up notions are ping-ponging around in your