"Charles De Lint - Jack, The Giant-Killer" - читать интересную книгу автора (De Lint Charles)

Perhaps weтАЩll meet again in its pages.

тАФCharles de Lint
Ottawa, winter 1987


JACK THE GIANT-KILLER


CHAPTER ONE
^┬╗
 The reflection that looked back at her from the mirror
wasnтАЩt her own. Its hair was cut short and ragged like the
stubble in a cornfield. Its eye make-up was smudged and
the eyes themselves were red-veined and puffy. She
hadnтАЩt been crying, but oh, sheтАЩd been drinkingтАж
тАЬJacky,тАЭ she mumbled to the reflection. тАЬWhatтАЩve you
done to yourself this time?тАЭ
Five hours ago sheтАЩd numbly watched the door of her
apartment slam shut behind Will.
тАЬYouтАЩre so goddamn predictable!тАЭ heтАЩd shouted at the
end. тАЬNothing changes the routine. ItтАЩs just night after
night of burrowing away in this place. What do I have to
do to drag you away from your books or that glass tit?
This place is a prison, Jacky, and IтАЩm not buying into it.
Not anymore. IтАЩm tired of going out on my own, tired
ofтАж Christ, weтАЩve got absolutely nothing in common and
I donтАЩt know what I ever thought we did have.тАЭ
HeтАЩd stood there, red-faced, a vein throbbing at his
temple, then turned and walked out the door. She knew he
wasnтАЩt coming back. And after that outburst, she didnтАЩt
want him back.
There was nothing wrong with being a homebody.
There was nothing wrong with not wantingтАФnot needing
тАФthe constant jostle and noise of a party or a bar orтАж
whatever. Maybe it was better this way. She didnтАЩt need
what Will offered any more than he seemed to want what
she had. So why did she feel guilty? Why did she feel
soтАж empty? Like there was something missing.
She remembered going to the window, reaching it in
time to see Will disappearing down the street. Then sheтАЩd
gone into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror
looking at herself. What was missing? Could you see it by
just looking at her?
Her waist-length blonde hair hadnтАЩt been cut in twelve
yearsтАФnot since she was, God, seven. She was wearing
her favorite clothes: a baggy plaid shirt and a comfortable
pair of old LeviтАЩs. When she walked down the street, did
people turn to look at her and maybeтАж laugh? Did they
think she was some kind of hippie burn-out, even though