"Richard Kadrey - Blind Shrike" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kadrey Richard)

"Candy Darling was a man," said Spyder.

"Exactly."

Rubi leaned forward and kissed Lulu's pinkie. "I'll get you both another round. On me." As she left to
make their drinks, Lulu called after her, "That ain't all that's gonna be on you tonight." Rubi stuck her
tongue out at Lulu.

"Being crucified. That's supposed to be horrible," said Spyder.

"You're only saying that 'cause that's how they talk about it in movies. You ever known anyone who was
crucified? Or even heard of one? Hell no. Maybe being crucified is great. Maybe it's a fucking hoot.
Maybe it's a blow job and ice cream on your birthday." Lulu took out another Marlboro Light and lit it
with a pink fur Zippo. "Know what would really suck? Being force fed a bucket full of black widows."

Spyder made a face, half frown and half smile. "Jesus, girl," he said.

"You're upping the ante on me."

It was the end of another day at the tattoo studio and piercing parlor Spyder and Lulu ran together.
Spyder did the ink while Lulu handled the metal. It was a pleasant business. It let them both pretend to
be artists while making money and getting a lot of tail on the side. Rubi, for instance, had been one of
Lulu's earliest and most regular customers.

"She's got about five pounds of me all over her all the time," Lulu liked to tell friends.

Rubi bought back their drinks and set them on the bar. "What time you getting off tonight?," asked Lulu.

"Early," said Rubi. "'Bout an hour."

"Sweet."

"Being eaten alive, Night of the Living Dead-style," said Spyder.

Lulu turned to him. "You mind? We're having a moment here."

"Wait, better than that," Spyder went on. "Being starved to death, but given topical anesthetic and
surgical equipment, so the only way you could stay alive'd be to amputate your own limbs and eat them."

Rubi said, "You two ought to get married. Move into the Bates Motel." She went down the bar to serve
other customers.

"Now you ruined our surprise," Spyder called after her.

Lulu took a long pull on her tequila. "Flayed alive and drowned in pickle brine."

Spyder looked at his hands. The back of one was -covered in an intricate black tribal snake pattern
while the other hand sported a cartoon red sacred heart. MANS RUIN was tattooed across the
knuckles of both hands. He'd gotten the letters while doing a year in reform school for car theft. They