"John DeChancie - Skyway 2 - Red Limit Freeway" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dechancie John)

Finally the singing stopped, and all the food was gone. I wits stuffed, and halfway drunk. I don't like
doing things halfway. We ordered more beer.
"My God," John breathed, sitting back and massaging his btmnuch, "I can't remember ever eating so
much at one time. I lope I won't-'' He burped liquidly. "Ohhh. Excuse me."
"Bring it up again and we'll vote on it," Lori said, returning with Winnie.
"I can't believe you found food," Darla said.
W innie smiled and waved a handful of plum-sized pink fruit with blue speckles all over them. Lori
dumped a pile of leaves and stems down on the table, and sat down.
"Eat up, folks!"
Everyone groaned. "Here, honey, I saved you some chicken," Susan said, sliding a plate toward her.
"Kinda small for chicken, but thanks."
"It's game fowl, Susan," Roland corrected. "Raised dontantically."
"Whatever."
"How did Winnie know ... ?" John motioned vaguely at the pile of vegetation.
"How does Winnie know everything," Roland countered, "including accurate descriptions of planets she's
never visited?"
"I'll have to talk it over with her," Darla said thoughtfully. "Apparently there's more information in that
poem of hers than I've been able to get out."
"Maybe the poem and the map and this kind of information," John offered, "what to eat along the way
and that sort of thingmaybe you could consider it all a ... well, what would you call it? A tourist guide
kit?"
"Very good, John," Roland said. "Very good."
"Boy, those woods out there are spooky," Lori said through a mouthful of game hen. "Kept getting funny
... I dunno, feelings."
"Did you see any white rabbits?" Roland asked.
"Nah, didn't actually see anything. Hey, this is good."
"You should eat, honey," Susan said motheringly. "You haven't taken a bite all day."
"I'm eating, I'm eating!"
"Sorry, Lori. I didn't mean-"
"Oh, it's okay. I'm sorry."
We watched Winnie take a tentative bite of fruit and roll it around her tongue. Not bad. She chewed it
briskly and popped the rest into her mouth.
We all looked at one another and shrugged.
John leaned back. "Well," he said, as if to start something off.
"Yes, well," Roland seconded.
"What are you folks going to do now?" I asked.
"I've been thinking," John began.
"Thought I smelled something burning," Lori mumbled. I think she had John pegged as somewhat of a
stuffed shirt, which he was.
Susan tittered, and Roland smiled before he said seriously, "I'm for keeping with Jake. I think if you
examine all our options, it's the best one."
"Hold off, now," John cautioned, raising a hand. "Why don't we examine them all and see?"
"The linkages are there," Roland asserted. "Everything seems to have gone according to Plan."
"I'm not so sure of that."
"It's fairly obvious."
"Not to me, I'm afraid," John said gently. "Forgive me, Roland."
Roland sighed. "I suppose my task is to make you see the overall design."
"I want to learn from you, Roland. I really do. But... please, let's make it an exchange. Agreed?"
Roland nodded. "You're right. I have been doing a lot of pontificating lately." He gave John a conciliatory
grin. "Let's go over our options."