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

"It's not going to happen because it's only eleven o'clock."

Billy stared at the watch, which read 11:00 precisely. He consulted his wristwatch."Hate to tell you this,
but your watch has stopped. It's almost five-thirty."

Gaspar smiled his own certain smile. "No, it's eleven."

And they made up the sofa for the very old man, who placed his pocket change and hisfountain pen and
the sumptuous turnip watch on the now-silent television set, and theywent to sleep.

####

One day Billy went off while Gaspar was washing the lunch dishes, and when he cameback, he had a
large paper bag from Toys "R" Us.


file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Har...on%20-%20Paladin%20of%20the%20Lost%20Hour.htm (9 of 22) [10/18/2004 4:56:25 PM]
 Harlan Ellison - Paladin of the Lost Hour


Gaspar came out of the kitchenette rubbing a plate with a souvenir dish towel fromNiagara Falls, New
York. He stared at Billy and the bag. "What's in the bag?"Billy inclined his head, and indicated the very
old man should join him in the middle ofthe room. Then he sat down crosslegged on the floor, and
dumped the contents of the bag.Gaspar stared with startlement, and sat down beside him.

So for two hours they played with tiny cars that turned into robots when the sectionswere unfolded.

Gaspar was excellent at figuring out all the permutations of the Transformers,Starriors and CoBots. He
played well.

And they went for a walk. "I'll treat you to a matinee," Gaspar said."But no films with Karen Black,
Sandy Dennis or Meryl Streep. They're always crying.Their noses are always red. I can't stand that."

They started to cross the avenue. Stopped at the light was this year's CadillacBrougham, vanity license
plates, ten coats of acrylic lacquer and two coats of clear (witha little retarder in the final "color coat" for
a slow dry) of a magenta hue sorich that it approximated the shade of light shining through a decanter
filled withChateau Lafite Rothschild 1945.

The man driving the Cadillac had no neck. His head sat thumped down hard on theshoulders. He stared
straight ahead, took one last deep pull on the cigar, and threw itout the window. The still-smoking butt
landed directly in front of Gaspar as he passed thecar. The old man stopped, stared down at this coprolitic
metaphor, and then stared at thedriver. The eyes behind the wheel, the eyes of a macaquc, did not waver
from thestoplight's red circle. just outside the window, someone was looking in, but the eyes ofthe rhesus
were on the red circle.

A line of cars stopped behind the Brougham.

Gaspar continued to stare at the man in the Cadillac for a moment, and then, withcreaking difficulty, he
bent and picked up the smoldering butt of stogie.