"Nagle, Patti - Coyote Ugly" - читать интересную книгу автора (Nagle Pati)

"Coyote's mine, Joe! Give him back!"

"You can carve another, big shot artist." He tried to wrench his arm away. "Let
go, bruja!"

"Give him back! She won't buy from you anyway."

"Yes she will. You watch."

"No!" Eva grabbed for Coyote. The back of Joe's hand slammed into her face and
she fell, white lights flashing in her head. Zozobra's outraged howl penetrated
the ringing in her ear, and softer voices nearer asking, "You all right?"

Eva struggled to her feet, brushing off dust and helping hands, and ploughed her
way back up the embankment. Joe was running north; he would skirt behind
Zozobra's puppeteers to the west, to sneak through the clubhouse and into the
park. Eva tried to run but every step brought pain; she stood with tears
streaming down her face, watching the dark form slide through shadows along the
back of the hill, while Zozobra flailed his giant arms at the fire dancer's
threat and the crowd chanted, "Burn him, burn him!"

Twin waterfalls of fireworks flared to life on either side of Zozobra,
illuminating Joe's denim back, and a sudden breeze lifted the falling sparks.
Without thought Eva caught the breeze and fed it, pouring anger into it and
wrenching it into a screw. The crowd gasped as the vortex caught dust and sparks
and swelled suddenly. Eva's scream of anger joined Zozobra's roar and the dust
devil leapt taller than the puppet, sucking the fireworks into itself and
spitting sparks in all directions. She pushed it toward Joe.

He was still running but the devil caught him and he stood struggling for
balance, buffeted, dust and sparks flying about his head. Zozobra was burning a
few yards away, fire glowing inside his howling mouth; Eva caught a strand of
flame and wove it into her whirlwind. The fire was hers now, and into it she put
not only Joe but Mrs. Rougier, Ms. Messersmith, her mother. All the people who
pushed her; she gave them all to the flames, the purging fire of Zozobra, flames
and the white heat of her rage blotting out everything else.

Vaguely she heard screaming; the crowd was frightened by the fire. Silly people,
she thought. The fire's good. Let it burn away your troubles. The flaming
whirlwind stood like a torch against the night, dwarfing Zozobra, Someone near
her cried, "It's beautiful!" and Eva smiled.

Joe's jacket was on fire. He flung his arms up over his head and fell to his
knees, flames dancing over his back. Coyote dropped to the ground.

Shrieks filled the air; the crowd's hysteria obliterated the drums and Zozobra's
amplified howls. Dark shapes were swarming up the hillside like cockroaches. Joe
disappeared behind the tide but the whipping flames kept the rescuers at bay.
The wind had quickened the fire and Zozobra ceased to thrash, abandoned by his