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

"Doing ombudsman."

"You mean, like a consumer advocate? Like Ralph Nader?"

"Exactly. I watch out for things. I listen, I pay some attention; and if I do itright, sometimes I can even
make a little difference. Yes, like Mr. Nader. A very fineman."

"And you were at the cemetery to see a relative?"

Gaspar's face settled into an expression of loss. "My dear old girl. My wife,Minna. She's been gone, well,
it was twenty years in January. " He sat silentlystaring inward for a while, then: "She was everything to
me. The nice part was that Iknew how important we were to each other; we discussed, well, just
everything. Imiss that the most, telling her what's going on.

"I go to see her every other day.

"I used to go every day. But. It. Hurt. Too much."

They had tea. Gaspar sipped and said it was very nice, but had Billy ever tried EarlGrey? Billy said he
didn't know what that was, and Gaspar said he would bring him a tin,that it was splendid. And they
chatted. Finally, Gaspar asked, "And who were youvisiting?"


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 Harlan Ellison - Paladin of the Lost Hour


Billy pressed his lips together. "Just a friend." And would say no more. Thenhe sighed and said, "Well,
listen, I have to go to work.

"Oh? What do you do?"

The answer came slowly. As if Billy Kinetta wanted to be able to say that he was incomputers, or owned
his own business, or held a position of import. "I'm nightmanager at a 7-Eleven."

"I'll bet you meet some fascinating people coming in late for milk or one of thoseslushies," Gaspar said
gently. He seemed to understand.

Billy smiled. He took the kindness as it was intended. "Yeah, the cream of highsociety, That is, when
they're not threatening to shoot me through the head if I don'topen the safe."

"Let me ask you a favor," Gaspar said. "I'd like a little sanctuary, ifyou think it's all right. just a little rest.
I could lie down on the sofa for a bit.Would that be all right? You trust me to stay here while you're gone,
young fella?"

Billy hesitated only a moment. The very old man seemed okay, not a crazy, certainly nota thief. And
what was there to steal? Some tea that wasn't even Earl Grey?

"Sure. That'll be okay. But I won't be coming back till two A.M. So just close thedoor behind you when
you go; it'll lock automatically. "