"Harlan Ellison - The End of the Time of Leinard" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ellison Harlan)

calmed down quite a lot, and there ain't no call for all the
gunslinginтАЩ you do.тАЭ
тАЬLike I was sayin', Frank,тАЭ Pete Redallo continued, asserting his
position as spokesman with slight belligerence, тАЬthis was a wild
town, and you came down from Kansas, and cleaned it up. Now we
ain't belittlinтАЩ you at all. It was what we hadda have done, and you
done it. We're mighty grateful for that. But, well, we, uhтАФтАЭ
тАЬWhat're you tryinтАЩ to say, Pete?тАЭ Frank asked. His gaze was
steady, without guile.
тАЬWell, uh, well, there was just no call to shoot up poor old Gus
Tabbert that way.тАЭ
тАЬHe was drunk and disorderly. He drew on me.тАЭ
Redallo dropped the hat, a flush hitting his cheekbones. тАЬYou know
Gus was always drunk, Frank. And the little bit of shootinтАЩ he did
was nothinтАЩ compared to what used to happen when Con Farlow's
boys used to hit town. Tabbert oughtn't to be dead. It's just not right,
is all.тАЭ
Morn Ashley moved up beside Redallo.
тАЬLook, Frank, I'll be honest тАЩbout this.
тАЬYou've gotten to be more than just Sheriff тАЩround here. The way
some folks feel, you're the law entire. The mayor, and the Council,
and whatall. And that ain't right, Frank. This is as much your town
as ours, but you don't act the way we figger a Sheriff should, no
more.
тАЬWe're lots quieter now. The frontier days are gone, Frank. When

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you had to draw on every man who shot up a saloon, that was
another time ... what was right then, it just don't seem proper now.
Hell, Frank, old Tabbert was a friend to all of usтАФтАЭ
тАЬGus was my friend, too, Morn,тАЭ Leinard said, softly.
тАЬThat's what we're tryinтАЩ to say, Frank.тАЭ It was Karl Breslin from
the B-slash-D speaking for the first time. тАЬWhen you had plenty of
rowdy-dowdys to tame, you were in fine style; but now that it's
mostly families and such in Bartisville, you've taken to huntinтАЩ yore
meat in the townsfolk. We just want you to understand that times
change, and the men gotta change with тАЩem, otherwiseтАФтАЭ
Leinard stood up slowly. He was a big man, well over six feet,
graying but fit, and they edged back warily. There was no telling
what burned beneath that calm surface. The way he always spoke so
soft and warm. Leinard put his hands outтАФfingers spread, palms flat
тАФon the desk. His face was calm, as he answered them.
тАЬWhat you're tryinтАЩ to say is, you want me to resign. That right,
Pete, Morn, Karl, Anse? That it?тАЭ
They stumbled and stammered and mumbled. тАЬWell, no, that ain't
exactly...тАЭ or тАЬOh, you know how things are, Frank...тАЭ and тАЬNow
don't get sore, Frank...тАЭ But he knew what they meant. It stuck up in