"Eric Flint & Ryk E. Spoor - Diamonds are Forever" - читать интересную книгу автора (Flint Eric)

Father was in the big family room when Adam and I got in, trailing behind everyone else. He gave me
one of his usual nods. "Clint."
"Father." I gave him a hug, which he returned, then clasped hands for a moment.
"Been a while."
"Sorry, Father. I try to keep in touch."
He nodded. Not angry. Just quiet, as usual. Father didn't talk much, thought a lot, and acted when he had
to. He was actually a tad shorter than me, but built as solid as the rock of the mountain; Father didn't
have an ounce of fat on him but still outweighed me by about thirty pounds. Still, almost no one paid
him mind when they first met him, on account of his being so quiet.
A booming laugh momentarily silenced everyone else. Grandpa Marlon was Father's oppositeтАФhe filled
a room with his voice and his figure, standing taller even than Adam, with snow-white hair hanging to
his shoulders and a rough-hewn face that reminded almost everyone of Charlton Heston. Evangeline, all
long dark hair and pale face, was in the corner curled up on the padded armchair as usual, reading and
watching. I didn't see Nellie or Helen, but that didn't really surprise me. Helen was going to be married
herself soon, so she was probably out, and Nellie was trying to match her stride for stride, so to speak.
Jonah was staring a bit too much at Jodi, but I remembered being fourteen myself, and in her New York
getup Jodi was a pretty stareable sight.
I looked at Father again. "Road was out, Father. Down near Snake Rock."


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 - Chapter 2

His lips tightened. "Not the weather for slides."
"My thought, too."
"Fence is up. Don't worry for now." He looked at the dining room and started to head in that direction.
Mamma noticed. "Zeke! Ezekiel Slade! No one at the table yet!" Father stopped immediately; you didn't
trifle with Mamma's directions. "Evangeline, could you be a treasure and help me set the table?" She
noticed Jonah. "And stop standing around like a lump, Jonah Winston Slade! You and Adam go out and
get Clint's truck unpacked and get their things to their rooms."
Jonah shook himself, looked at me enviously, and then nodded. "Yes, Mamma."
Jodi followed them out. "Whoa, boys, there's special equipment in there!"
Mamma seemed to think about protesting that she shouldn't do any work, but thought better of it. This
was the opening I'd been hoping for. I went with Mamma into the kitchen to help her with the foodтАФas
usual, there was enough to feed an army. "Mamma . . ." I said, letting a warning tone creep into my
voice.
She blinked up at me. "Something wrong, Clint dear?"
"The road was out. And it wasn't no landslide, neither."
She busied herself with the roast.
"You told me there wasn't any of that going on."
"Well, dear . . ." she said, in the voice she used when she was trying to get around Father, " . . . there
wasn't any of that when I told you then. Just seems to have started in the last couple of days."
"I know that voice, Mamma! Don't try no dancin' around this one! Just whatтАФ"
"Clinton! Don't take that tone of voice with me! I can still tan your hide, boy, and I won't need no help to
do it, neither!"
I backed down; getting Mamma mad wouldn't help. "Sorry, Mamma. Did anything happen that might
have . . . started it again?"
"Clint, we've got your wedding and Helen's, and ain't going to be no surprise if Nellie's and even Adam's
come pretty quick. And of course we're going to do you proud, son."
For a minute I was completely befuddled. What the heck did all that have to do with . . . "Oh, for the