"Harvey Jacobs - Blood is not Enough - L'Chaim" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jacobs Harvey)

"What, then?"

Zachary, the perennial ma├оtre de of the Tentacles Club, shuffled to
where they sat. He attempted a smile.

"Yes, Zachary?"

"I want to wish you felicitations, Mr. Grobit. Happy birthday and
many, many more."

"Thank you."

"I've taken the liberty of arranging a small dinner party."

"Of course. Take care of the details."

"And the midnight toast?"

"Ah, yes. We must have the midnight toast."

"Certainly. As you know, it is expectedтАж"
 "I know the rules," Delmore said.

"I will bring the glasses, the Waterford crystal. As for the wineтАж"

"Zachary, we have time. I'm in conversation."

"Excuse me, sir. Forgive me."

"Excused. Forgiven."

Zachary turned slowly and walked toward the fireplace.

"Jim, I want to tell you a story. Many, many long years go, when I was
your age, strange as it seems, my life was full of futures. I had begun my
business career and I was about to marry a lovely girl of some means."

"I didn't even know you had a wife, Delmore."

"I did. A wife, a daughter, a house. And plans, dreams, goals. Like you,
Jim. I bought a bottle of champagne on the day of my wedding. LaTouer
'09, the finest wine I could find. I had planned to drink it on my wedding
night, sharing the glorious vintage with my bride. But I didn't."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. I decided to save it for an even more special occasion.
The birth of a child. Some triumph. I had nothing specific in mind, you
see. A future special occasion. Well, there was a child and there were
triumphs. But I saved the wine. Each time I decided to save the wine for