"Mel Gilden - Zoot Marlow 3 - Tubular Android Superheroes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gilden Mel)

"What will you do?"
"Pray for surf!" Flopsie (or was it Mopsie?) cried. They were redheaded twins. Each surfer answered
her with a mighty "Ahh-rooooha." Whipper Will shrugged.
Thumper, who had been looking between me and Zamp as if he were reading subtitles, said, "You
mean there's two of you guys?"
"At least." Which could grow up to be a lie if I let it. "Bay City's a big place."
"How is Bay City?" Whipper Will said.
"They must be losing their grip. I still have the same head I left with."
Mustard, who was never entirely straight, cried, "Ahh-roooh!" and the other surfers helped him.
Flopsie and Mopsie hugged me. Hanger went so far as to brush the tip of my nose with her lips. It was
official. I was home.
"So," said Captain Hook, when the shouting had not quite died down, "who's the new bro?"
Whipper Will and Bingo watched me. Everybody watched me. Even Zamp watched me, but with a
smile that was a little ashamed at having been caught playing in this neighborhood. He was enjoying
seeing what the boy could do. I was on my own.
I said, "This is my Grampa Zamp."
"He have a problem with toxic waste and nose drops too?" Captain Hook flicked his own nose
meaningfully.
I had pushed that explanation pretty hard the last time I'd come to Earth. I hoped a few more good
miles were in it. I said, "Some of that environmental stuff made quite an impact."
Mustard made his victory noise again, but everybody else just looked confused. Hanger grumbled
about pollution. Zamp's nose quivered; I only hoped he'd keep his mouth shut for a while. One lie that
size was about all that would fit in the room.
"He speak English?" Captain Hook said, none too kindly.
"When there's any call for it," Zamp said, causing the surfers to stare at him as if he'd suddenly gone
all normal. Whipper Will laughed and shook his head. "Another Chandler fan," he said.
Mopsie (or was it Flopsie?) astonished Zamp by putting an arm through his. She said, "Ever tried
yoyogurt?"
"Get those short Johns off him," Thumper said. "He needs some rad rags."
"O-o-o-o," said Hanger as if somebody had just tickled her fancy.
Zamp, hoping for guidance, looked at me as he was dragged toward the second bedroom. I called
after him, "Relax and enjoy it." I remembered my first night in Whipper Will's house. They'd gotten me
drunk on yoyogurt and brewski and we'd done the limbo till dawn. I didn't actually remember that
particular dawn, of course. If Grampa Zamp had come to Earth for anything, it was this.
Only Bingo and Whipper Will and I were left in the living room. Bingo said, "Is he really your
grandfather?"
"Yeah," I said. "I hope his hearts can stand the excitement."
"He's a gnarly old dude. He'll be cool."
I nodded and said, "Maybe it's not Grampa Zamp I should be worrying about."
 CHAPTER 2
Stormy Weather
┬л^┬╗
The surfers decked him in baggies and a Hawaiian shirt. Captain Hook said something nasty about how
groovy it was that not everybody from Bay City thought a brown suit and hat was the freshest fashion. I
don't suppose Zamp looked any sillier in his outfit than I looked in mine.
A little light was left, a white luminous string at the horizon, so they half-carried Zamp out to the surf
line and showed him how to use a surf-hot. From the kitchen window, I watched him whoop and carry
on. Earth was his oyster. Whatever an oyster was. I only hoped that oysters didn't bite.
When it was too dark to see, the surfers sat Zamp down with a Gino and Darlene movie and a bowl
of oat-bran yoyogurt. After that they put on music not much louder than the wild cry of a slaberingeo and