"Harlan Ellison - Paladin of the Lost Hour" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ellison Harlan)

ransacking the coat pockets, ripping thefabric to get his hand inside.

The old man commenced to scream. "Protect me! You've got to protect me . . .it'snecessary to protect
me!"

The one pillaging pockets froze momentarily. What the hell kind of thing is that forthis old fucker to be
saying? Who the hell does he think'll protect him? Is he asking usto protect him? I'll protect you,
scumbag! I'll kick in your fuckin' lung! "Shut'imup!" he whispered urgently to his friend. "Stick a fist in
his mouth!" Thenhis hand, wedged in an inside jacket pocket, closed over something. He tried to get
hishand loose, but the jacket and coat and the old man's body had wound around his wrist."C'mon loose,
motherfuckah!" he said to the very old man, who was stillscreaming for protection. The other young man
was making huffing sounds, as dark as mud,as he slapped at the rain-soaked hair of his victim. "I can't . .
. he's all twisted'round . . . getcher hand outta there so's I can . . . " Screaming, the old man haddoubled
under, locking their hands on his person.

And then the pillager's fist came loose, and he was clutching for an instant a gorgeouspocket watch.

What used to be called a turnip watch.

The dial face was cloisonn├й, exquisite beyond the telling.

The case was of silver, so bright it seemed blue.

The hands, cast as arrows of time, were gold. They formed a shallow V at preciselyeleven o'clock. This
was happening at 3:45 in the afternoon, with rain and wind.

The timepiece made no sound, no sound at all.

Then: there was space all around the watch, and in that space in the palm of the hand,there was heat.
Intense heat for just a moment, just long enough for the hand to open.

The watch glided out of the boy's palm and levitated.

"Help me! You must protect me!"

Billy Kinetta heard the shrieking, but did not see the pocket watch floating in the airabove the astonished


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 Harlan Ellison - Paladin of the Lost Hour

young man. It was silver, and it was end-on toward him, and the rainwas silver and slanting; and he did
not see the watch hanging free in the air, even whenthe furious young man disentangled himself and
leaped for it. Billy did not see the watchrise just so much, out of reach of the mugger.

Billy Kinetta saw two boys, two young men of ratpack age, beating someone much older;and he went for
them. Pow, like that!

Thrashing his legs, the old man twisted around -- over, under -- as the boy holding himby the collar tried
to land a punch to put him away. Who would have thought the old man tohave had so much battle in