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

another drink. He'll be a laborer, and not nearly as smart as she is,
but that won't matter. He'll love her and Tommy with all his heart and
be, after your nephew, the best and most decent thing to ever happen in
her life. She'll be happy, and she'll be loved. That's all you need to
know."

The television blinked and the image was replaced by the sitcom re-run
that usually ran at this hour.

"H-how did you ... do this?"

Listen arched his brows. "Do you really need to know the how and why of
it? Isn't it enough that I did it and will not reverse things regardless
of your decision?"

I nodded. "My face and why you need-"

He waved it away. "Yes, yes, yes, I already know why I'm here, thank you."

"Then how about you explain it to me?"

He folded his hands. "Fine. But first I must have a refill on my coffee
and a slice of their coconut cream pie. Would you like some, as well? My
treat."

12

"Sure." I remembered the parking meter outside. The Ally used to be
right across the street from the Sparta, but had moved a year ago to a
larger building on the other side of the square, so these days I had to
drive over here for dinner after work. The meter would be expiring in a
few minutes. I hoped that Listen wouldn't think-

"Not at all, dear boy," he said. "Go feed your quarters into the bloody
thing, I understand completely."

"Be right back."

Outside, I was digging into my pocket for change and trying not to
shriek with joy. I know how melodramatic that sounds, but it's how I
felt. Elated. I knew somehow that all of it was true, that this weird
little man had just saved the lives of my sister and nephew.

Like most people, I don't believe in miracles but often depend on them
in the same wishful-thinking way that gets most of us through our days:
Maybe I'll win the lottery, maybe I'll get that raise, maybe she'll say
she will go out with me. But here, now, in this most unlikely of places,
I had been witness to something genuinely miraculous and wanted to sing
and dance until the Twinkie Mobile came to haul me off.