"Henry Kuttner & C. L. Moore - Prisoner In The Skull" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kuttner Henry)

"NothingтАФunless you're inside and the door should get stuck. I've a touch of claustrophobia."

"You should face these fears," said Veronica, who had read it somewhere. Fowler repressed a slight irritation. There
were times when he had felt an impulse to slap Veronica across the chops, but her gorgeousness entirely outweighted
any weakness she might have in other directions.

"Air conditioning, too," he said, touching another switch. "Fresh as spring breeze. Which reminds me. Does your
drink want freshening?"

"Yes," Veronica said, and they turned to the comma-shaped room. It was appreciably darker. The girl went to the
window and stared through the immense, wall-long pane.

"Storm coming up," she said. "The car radio said it'll be a bad one. I'd better go, Johnny."

"Must you? You just got here."

"I have a date. Anyway, I've got to work early tomorrow." She was a Korys model, much in demand.

Fowler turned from the recalcitrant bar and reached for her hand.

"I wanted to ask you to marry me," he said.

There was silence, while leaden grayness pressed down beyond the window, and yellow hills rippled under the gusts
of unfelt wind. Veronica met his gaze steadily.

"I know you did. I meanтАФI've been expecting you to."

"Well?"

She moved her shoulders uneasily.
"Not now."

"ButтАФVeronica. Why not? We've known each other for a couple of yearsтАФ''

"The truth isтАФI'm not sure about you, Johnny. Sometimes I think I love you. But sometimes I'm not sure I even like
you."

He frowned. "I don't get that."

"Well, I can't explain it. It's just that I think you could be either a very nice guy or a very nasty one. And I'd like to be
quite certain first. Now I've got to go. It's starting to rain."

On that note she went out, leaving Fowler with a sour taste in his mouth. He mixed himself another drink and wandered
over to his drawing board, where some sketches were sheafed up on a disorderly fashion. Nuts. He was making good
dough at commercial art, he'd even got himself a rather special houseтАФ

One- of the drawings caught his eye. It was a background detail, intended for incorporation later in a larger picture. It
showed a gargoyle, drawn with painstaking care, and a certain quality of vivid precision that was very faintly
unpleasant. VeronicaтАФ