"Will Hubbell - Cretaceous Sea" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hubbell Will)

CON'S COMSET SILENTLY VIBRATED. SHE SURREPTItiously removed it from her pocket
and glanced at its screen when her calculus teacher turned his back. The message from Mother was short
and crypticтАФ"Your father called. Has sur-prise. Limo to meet you after school." Con wondered what
the surprise could be. She doubted Mother knew. Most likely, it was another of her father's sporadic and
extravagant ges-tures, like the horse she received a month after he forgot her sixteenth birthday. The limo
was a dead giveaway.

Limousines were common at Con's school, so no one be-trayed any interest when she departed in a big
hydrogen-electric Mercedes. It took her to an office building in a fashionable district of the city. When
the driver opened the car door, Con's father was waiting outside. Con groaned in-wardly when she saw
that he had his new fiancee with him. Con recognized her from the tabloids, but she was even more
striking in person. Curvaceous, with intense green eyes and dramatic black hair, she seemed too perfect
to be real. Con suspected little of her was.

"Hi, Daddy," she said.

"Hi, honey. I'd like you to meet Sara."

"Hi," said Con. "I've seen you on the news."

"Don't believe everything they say," said Sara, smiling and extending her hand. "I've been looking forward
to meet-ing you. John's told me so much about you."

Con shook Sara's hand. "Don't believe everything Daddy says about me."

"He says only the nicest things."

"That's what I mean."

"We're expected," said John Greighton impatiently, ush-ering his daughter and his fiancee inside. An
elevator took them to an expensively decorated office on one of the upper floors. As soon as they
entered, a receptionist rose to greet them. "Mr. Greighton," she said, "welcome to Montana Isle. Ms.
Smythe is expecting you."

Con watched the aforementioned Ms. Smythe advance to-ward them. She was elegantly dressed, and
her smiling face had been redone in the currently fashionable angular look. Con recognized the designer.
The surgery was almost cer-tainly a knockoff, but it was well-done. None of the exag-gerated planes of
Ms. Smythe's face seemed overly unnatural.

"Mr. Greighton, I'm so pleased you've come. I'm Ann Smythe. I can answer your questions about our
unique of-fering."

John Greighton shook her offered hand. "This is my fi-ancee, Sara Boyton, and my daughter,
Constance."

Con spoke up and corrected him, "It's 'Con.' "

"Will Constance accompany you and Sara, Mr. Greigh-ton?" asked Ann.