"Jody Lynn Nye - The Grand Tour" - читать интересную книгу автора (Nye Jody Lynn)

were openly New Age, knowing he was treading on unfamiliar and potentially dangerous territory. He
didnтАЩt like it that others might be more at home with nature than he was. Pipistrella was another one,
covered with gauze and silver jangles. No doubt she had her room at home furnished in teddy bears,
sparkles and fairies. She was thin, dreamy, and graceful, but that total unawareness of her surroundings
could drive him insane in time.
Sean Draper, the good-looking man with dark hair and dark blue eyes, was the very image of an
Irish poet. He was even wearing an Aran sweater under that terrifically-cut tweed jacket. Chuck
wondered if the man was anything of the sort in his real life, or if this was an idealized version of his
mental picture of himself. He was too private. The very air around him shouted, тАЬLeave me alone!тАЭ
Only Keir had braved the barrier to deal with what was inside, but that was his job. Chuck forced
himself to stop thinking about sharing Keir, because he became upset all over again.
Bergold, the short, round man with his shining round cheeks and a sharp thin nose, looked like a
cheery robin. He was the friendliest person in the car. Chuck would really have enjoyed knowing -
someone like him in his normal life. Dreamed people didnтАЩt seem any different than the real ones.
Impulsively, Chuck turned to Hiramus to ask him what he thought, but the older man sat up stiffly
straight and brought his newspaper closer to his nose. What a pill, Chuck thought. HeтАЩs going to be
loads of fun. He began to ask Bergold a question, when the old woman across the aisle leaned over and
put a hand on ChuckтАЩs arm.
тАЬI couldnтАЩt help but overhear your guide,тАЭ she said. She could have been anywhere between sixty
and ninety, her plump cheeks crisscrossed with fine lines that deepened into smile grooves next to her
eyes and mouth. тАЬYouтАЩre from the Waking World! IтАЩm very excited to meet real Visitors.тАЭ Chuck
could clearly hear the capital letters in her voice. тАЬIтАЩm Gloriana Flannel. Mrs. Flannel. And this is Spot.
WeтАЩre taking a nice holiday from our home in Frustrata.тАЭ She held up a fluffy white toy poodle with a
single black dot the size of a plum on its chest. She waggled its front paw at Chuck. тАЬSay hello to the
nice man from the Waking World. I said to Spot when I saw you, тАШThatтАЩs a Visitor, that is.тАЩ And I was
right, wasnтАЩt I?тАЭ she said to Spot. тАЬYes, I was. And here we areтАФus!тАФtraveling with them!тАЭ
The dog happily panted at Chuck, showing its pink tongue in the delight dogs worldwide had at the
prospect of meeting new people and going for a ride. Chuck scratched it on the head, and the dog
looked blissful. Mrs. Flannel settled Spot in her lap and rummaged around in her bag to disgorge a
prodigious but unidentifiable knitting project in pale blue.
тАЬKenner Farside,тАЭ said the grinning man riding in the seat facing Mrs. Flannel, rising to offer a
hand. Though the man stood just under medium stature, the muscles of his arms and wedge-shaped
torso showed powerful lines of definition even under his immaculate white shirt. тАЬCall me Kenner,
Chuck.тАЭ He gripped ChuckтАЩs fingers with a bone-crushing squeeze. Here, the handshake announced,
was a man of the world, equal to everything and everybody. тАЬOn the way to see my girl.тАЭ
Chuck took back his mangled fingers and rubbed them absently. тАЬDidnтАЩt I see you out on the
platform with some other woman?тАЭ SheтАЩd been a pretty one, too, with soft brown hair and light hazel
eyes. Chuck remembered noticing her and Kenner because they were totally involved in passionate
kissing to the exclusion of all else. TheyтАЩd only broken the clinch when the boarding whistle blew.
Kenner grinned, man to man. тАЬThatтАЩs my girl in Rem. A lady friend in every port means youтАЩre
never lonely.тАЭ Mrs. Flannel gave him a reproachful look that he ignored easily.
тАЬBolster,тАЭ said the quick, thin man in the aisle seat beside Kenner. He had very large, round blue
eyes that protruded slightly from under prominent brow ridges. His thinning, light hair hung wispily
around a domed skull. His fingers looped around ChuckтАЩs, contracted briefly and withdrew, a butterfly
kiss instead of a knockout punch. тАЬOf Sheep, Sheep, Fence, Moon, and Bolster. I travel in comfort.тАЭ
Chuck poked at the upholstery of the wide seat. тАЬIt looks like all of us are doing that.тАЭ
тАЬNo, no, no,тАЭ Bolster said. тАЬYou do not understand me. My firm sells peace and quiet. When our
clients employ our services, it is to facilitate their mindsтАЩ passage into the Dreamland. We know how
many people in the Waking World are suffering from sleeplessness. Our mission statement is to deliver
relaxation to free the sleeper to let his or her dreams range freely. To do this, we employ a large