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

future celebration. Even when my daughter gave birth to her first son I
postponed opening that wine."

"I can understand. That bottle of wine was a guarantee for you,
Delmore. As long as it remained unopened there would be a future."

"Exactly. Do you know when I finally opened it? On impulse. On a rainy
night in the autumn of the year. I felt thirst. I uncorked the champagne.
No special occasion. None were left. My wife was taken by the plague. My
daughter and her child were random victims of some war. Do you know
what I discovered when I opened the bottle? The wine had turned. It was
syrupy and sour. The lovely bubbles were sludge. And I began to laugh. I
laughed at the cosmic joke, Jim. I had the last laugh."
 "The last laugh?"

"They found me dead in the morning."

"Beg pardon, Delmore?"

"It's rather complicated. A mere technicality. Besides, I had made
provision."

"Provision for what?"

"Always questions, Jim. You have such a rapid mind. Provision for an
ongoing. Lord knows, it didn't come cheap. They took the better part of
my fortune."

"Who did?"

"The Tentacles, of course. They called it my initiation fee."

"I'm afraid I'm lost, Delmore."

"Wine has always interested me. I'm sure it's because of that cursed
bottle of champagne. I'm quite an expert on the fruits of the grape, as they
say. In fact, most of the Tentacles share that passion, or obsession. It's one
of the few blessings of membership here. We spend countless hours talking
of years, months, days, splendid crops, ecstatic harvests, orgasmic
testings. I know it is an indulgence but I haven't many."

"Delmore, you don't need to apologize to me. If you enjoy a good wine,
so be it. What harm done?"

"Which brings us to the toast. On midnight of one's birthday, it is
customary that the birthday boy provide a decanter of the finest wine for
all the Tentacles to share. Tonight is my night."

"And I am very pleased that you asked me to join you here."