"Lackey, Mercedes - Born To Run" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

Ross absently pulled the cigarette from his mouth and looked at it, brow knotted in concentration.
Tannim stood next to the overpass abutment. It was gray concrete, scarred and cracked, with patches of cement covering half its surface. Bits of glass and plastic glittered in the starlight. Tannim picked up a razor-edged sliver of safety-glass an inch long. Barrier's in place; might as well tell him straight up. He hasn't taken the hints.
УRossа.а.а. this is all that's left of your 'Cuda. You hit this bridge doin' one-forty, and you never walked away from it.Ф
The cigarette slipped from Ross' fingers and rested in the dry grass. It smoldered, but didn't set fire to the grass it landed in. The energy field around Ross Canfield crackled like a miniature thunderstorm, apparently invisible to him.
УRoss, look over there.Ф Tannim pointed at the Mustang, and at the man still sitting on the hood. УThat's me.Ф
Ross took a deep breath, stooped to pick up his cigarette, and returned it in his mouth.
Here's where it hits. I can handle it; he's not too powerfulа.а.а. I hope. Tannim built up his defenses, preparing for a mental scream of rage.а.а.а. Or worse. Sometimes they don't just blame the messenger, they kill the messenger. I hate this part.
Ross bit his lip, shock plain on his face as he realized the meaning of Tannim's words.
УNeverа.а.а. walkedа.а.а. away.а.а.а.Ф
Tannim nodded, ready to strike back if Ross broke and gave in to the rage building in him. УSo I'm dead, huh?Ф
Tannim could feel the energies arcing between them, screaming for focus.а.а.а.
Hoo boy. Now so am I.
УThat's right, Ross. You died three years ago, right here. I'm sorry, really.а.а.а.Ф
Ross Canfield pulled himself up to his full height, towering over Tannim by almost a foot, eyes glowing red with fury as he seethed. His fists clenched tighter, then relaxed slowly and finally opened. His broad shoulders slouched as his aura dimmed to orange, red tinges slithering away into the ground. He inhaled one massive breath, pulled a hand back through his hair and saidЧ
УWell, shit.Ф
Tannim heard mental giggles from his guardians, felt them skitter away to other business, pulling his borrowed energy reserves with them. He heaved a sigh of relief and lowered his guard against a strike.
Ross swayed as if drunk, then stared at Tannim's spirit-form like he was trying out newly bought eyes.

УSo, this is what it's like to be a goddamn ghost,Ф Ross said to Tannim as they stood beside the Mustang. УJust my damn luck. I should've expected something like this to happen to me. What the hell do I do now?Ф
Tannim stood at the hood, beside himself. УI'll tell you in a second.Ф He drew up the Walking spell's reserve energy and stepped back into his body, trusting his instincts that Ross was not going to disturb his transfer. Back at home, he opened his eyes, stretched and stood, rubbing the ever-present kink in his left leg.
УJust for the record, you could have hurt me pretty bad back there, Ross. Just now, I mean. Stepping into and out of a body is a vulnerable time. I trusted you that you wouldn'tЧthanks.Ф
УUh huh. What was I gonna do, rattle my chains at ya?Ф Ross snorted. УAnd, uh, if it's not too much trouble, what the hell good is this gonna do me? What am I s'posed to do? If I'm dead, where are the angels?Ф
Tannim paused, and walked to the door of the car. УGet in; I'll tell you.Ф
Ross reached for the door-handle, and his hand passed through it, a tracing of fire around the point of entry. УThat's lesson one, Ross. You're only partially in this land of the physical. You can choose whether or not to interact with it. Lotta advantages to being a ghost; I don't get the option of deciding if I want to be hit by a bullet or not.Ф Tannim grinned. УYou do. Or rather, you will. You're not up to that yet.Ф
УThat's spooky as shit,Ф Ross observed, watching his forearm disappear completely into the door.
УNormally you wouldn't be able to do that to this particular car. As a ghost, that is. It has some powerful defenses. I'm lowering the ones against spirits for you, keyed to you and you only. Otherwise, you couldn't get within a foot of that door. Also, another thing: if you get near my tape collection, I'll kill you.Ф Tannim smiled. УYou can fry magnetics with a touchЧtapes, computer disks, that sorta thing. The tapes are in that red box there. Please don't touch it.Ф
Ross looked through the window at the red fabric case, and read Уno ghosts or possessions within 10 feetФ embroidered into a panel on its lid. The caution was surrounded by arcane symbols. УYeah, I see. What are those, spells or something?Ф
Tannim chuckled and leaned against the roof. УThe runes? They're from the back of Led Zeppelin Four. Scares most of the ghosts bigtime, except the metal-heads, they just give me a high-sign and say 'Duuuude!'аФ
Ross laughed, and pulled his arm free of the door. He shoved his other hand in his pockets, and dragged on his ever-present cigarette. The smoke wisped away, disappearing as blue this time.
УThat's another advantage, you can see things living people can't, like that warning. It's for spirits only. Your vision should be changing soon, now that you've realizedа.а.а. ah, what you are now. Things'll start getting pretty weirdа.а.а. people will have funny glows around them, colors that show how they feel emotionally, the brighter they are the more intense they are. I see that way all the time, it's called 'mage-sight'Чthat's how I can see you now. Watch out for blind spots, they mean trouble every time. They stand for something you can't see, something someone won't let you see, or something you don't want to see.Ф
Ross appeared grim for a second, then turned his head to face the overpass.
He looks like he's seen aа.а.а.
Well, he turned very pale.
УI can't seeа.а.а. I never noticed that before. That's where I died, and I can't see it at all.Ф Ross looked visibly shaken, and began walking towards the overpass.
Would he be able to see it? Should Tannim even encourage him to try? But he seemed ready. УThe trick is to look past it, and bring your field of focus into it. Concentrate on seeing the road past it, then pull back until it appears; the more you want it, the sooner it will come.Ф
Tannim watched him walk up to the place where he'd died, and stop.
УRossа.а.а.Ф he said softly, Уyou don't have to do this, if it's making you uncomfortable, at least not right away. There are ghosts in this world who haven't been able to come to grips with their own deaths for centuries. It's not easy.Ф
УHow th' hell would you know?Ф Ross snapped, and then immediately looked embarrassed.
УI've helped almost a hundred move on to their next destination,Ф Tannim said. УNot always willingly, butа.а.а. it's for the better.Ф
Ross faced him, skepticism warring with a touch of awe. УYou're notЧan angel, are you?Ф
УMe?Ф Tannim laughed. More often, he was mistaken for something else entirely. УNot hardly. Not even close. I'm just a man who can tell you a thing or two about magic, about dying, and what comes after it. Angels live far cleaner lives, and have cleaner consciences.Ф
УThere are angels, then? And Heaven?Ф Ross pulled a long drag on his cigarette.
УI guess.Ф Tannim shrugged. УHell, I don't know what your definition of Heaven is, so I can't say. But I will tell you that not everyone who dies waltzes through the 'Pearly Gates' of their choice; they still have things to do. A lot of 'em love this world, and don't want to leave. They don't have to, at least, not right away.Ф
УThey don't?Ф Canfield looked surprisedЧand bemused.
УNope. Not if they still have things to do, things on their minds.Ф Tannim leaned up against the Mustang. УMost move on to whatever suits them, pretty much right off. But some, it takes a while to find out what it is they want. You're probably that way. It's a whole different ball game when you're dead; conflicts that were big guns when you were alive don't count for much. You meet all kinds of people from all times. Plenty to talk about. Hell, the drone of sports talk at Candlestick Park from a hundred thousand dead fans is enough to put you over the edge!Ф
УUh huh.Ф Ross pulled the butt from his mouth. УSo I'm gonna be this way for a while?Ф
УYeah, probably.Ф He looked up at the clear night sky for a moment. УSince you didn'tЧgo on, when you really understood what had happened to you. I guess you must have some things to do. The way you areЧit's kind of a way to live again, with your senses enhanced and a new way of looking at things. Kind of gives you a second chance.Ф
УI guess it isn't all bad,Ф Ross observed after a moment of thought. УGuy could do a lot, see a lot, like this. Things he never got a chance to.Ф
Tannim nodded. УThere's a big tradeoff to it; if there's something you need to take care of, that tie will hold you to a place. Even without that, there's ties to your family. Most ghosts build up a sort of 'monitoring' of their families and loved ones, so they know what they are doing, and can be there to lend support from beyond if they can, while they're still ghosts. Native Americans in particular have a strong tie with their ancestors, and their spirits fill everything around them. If I were you, I'd travel a bit and reconcile your feelings about everyone you've ever loved or hated. Then visit your gravesite. After that, it's up to you whether to stay or to move on.Ф
УWell, ain't this a helluva turn. Life after death is just as big a pain in the ass as living.Ф Ross planted his hands on his hips, and stared towards the bridge. УI can kinda see it now, Tannim. And I can seeа.а.а. my 'Cuda. Holy shitа.а.а. I really did buy it good.Ф Ross shuddered, and swore again. УDamn. I loved that car.Ф