"Thomas F. Monteleone - Tales of Terror and Madness" - читать интересную книгу автора (Monteleone Thomas F)

gone and as far as I could see, I was the only customer on this side of the-

-scratch that. Across the aisle, one booth down and facing the front,
sat a gaunt old man who looked so much like the late actor Peter Cushing
it was eerie; thinning silver hair formed into a widow's peak on his
forehead, aristocratic nose, sharp jaw-line, small but intense
bluish-gray eyes under patrician brows; when he swallowed, his too-large
Adam's apple threatened to burst through his slender neck and bounce away.

"Yes," he said-more to himself than me, "I don't imagine you enjoy it at
all."

I gawked at him for a few more moments-he even sounded like Cushing-then
said: "I beg your pardon?"

"That was marvelous of you, listening to that woman. You probably made
her day."

"It seemed discourteous to do otherwise."

" 'Discourteous.' Good word. So tell me: do you hate being photographed?"

"I don't know. I never thought much about it." Which was a lie, albeit a
harmless one. I despise having my picture taken; forget the rudeness of
it (I got the camera so I'm going to get in your face and take this
snapshot whether you like it or not), which I object to on moral
grounds-most people never ask, they just click away- it's that every
time I see a picture of myself, I don't recognize me. I always look like
someone just stuck a gun in my back and told me to act natural.

I continued staring at the man.

"There's a reason I look and sound this way, Joel-by the way, were you
named after anyone in particular?"

"Joel McCrea. Mom's favorite movie was Ride the High Country and Dad's
was Sullivan's Travels."

7

He smiled his approval. "Good films, and a fine actor after which to be
named. I'm sorry, I seem to have forgotten-who was your favorite actor?"

"Peter Cush-oh, hang on!"
He winked. "I told you there was a reason. By the way, hello. My name's
Listen, and it's not that I don't find shouting across the aisle like
some sort of simpleton amusing, but wouldn't it be better to continue
this in a more civilized manner? So if you would join me here, please,
we can get to the heart of the matter."