"Barry N. Malzberg - Shiva" - читать интересную книгу автора (Malzberg Barry N)

charts his own release, thinking of ICBMs as convulsively,
absently, he climaxes.
****


Anderson lights a cigarette calmly and blows out the
match, tosses it, inhales, then in a single graceful motion
pushes in the swinging doors of the Circle Bar and walks
through. In the poisoned darkness the two Lump brothers
stand glaring at him, hands on their holsters. Half-consumed
whiskey bottles stand behind them over the deserted bar. The
bartender has dived for cover, the customers, no fools they,
have filched out a side door. тАЬAll right,тАЭ Anderson says, тАЬthis
is it. One at a time or both of you, I don't care.тАЭ
тАЬTaste lead,тАЭ Tom, the older one, says. His gun is in his
hand and poised to fire when Anderson shoots him in the
wrist. Tom Lump shrieks and falls. His point thirty-eight
clatters to the crude surface of the bar.
тАЬNext,тАЭ Anderson says, the gun cocked, drawing down on
Charles. The tall Lump stares at him; his eyes shift, his
expression weakens. Slowly he raises his hands.
тАЬI'll take you on with fists,тАЭ Anderson offers, тАЬright outside.
Let's go.тАЭ
On the floor Tom whimpers. тАЬListen,тАЭ Charles says
carefully, тАЬwe don't want any trouble here. You got us
wrong.тАЭ
тАЬNot wrong, just drawn down,тАЭ Anderson says. He holsters
his gun. тАЬOkay,тАЭ he says. тАЬAny arguments?тАЭ
10
 Shiva and Other Stories
by Barry N. Malzberg


Charles Lump says, тАЬI got nothing to do with this. Tom
brought me along for the ride, I ain't got nothing against this
town and I'm the first to say so. Anything this town wants to
do is okay with me, so there.тАЭ
тАЬOh shut up,тАЭ Tom says weakly, тАЬyou're in this with me up
to the hilt. I'm going to bleed to death here you don't stop
talking and get me a doctor.тАЭ
тАЬYou can get to a doctor out of town,тАЭ Anderson says. He
throws down his cigarette, carefully stomps it out with a
circular motion. No fires when the marshal is around. тАЬGet
up.тАЭ
Charles turns, shrugs elaborately. On the floor Tom begins
to dry heave, then vomits brightly. тАЬPack him over a horse
and get him out,тАЭ Anderson says, тАЬthere's a doctor over in
Bluff City twenty miles west, you ought to be able to get him
there before he passes out if you get going now.тАЭ
There is no spirit left in either of the Lumps. Charles nods,