"Rog Phillips - The Involuntary Immortals" - читать интересную книгу автора (Phillips Rog)

A drawn out figure eight laying on its side passed through the center of the leaf. It
looked something like the infinity sign in algebra, with the left hand half partly hidden
by the leaf.
A sudden suspicion made her look up. The young manтАЩs eyes were looking at
her. Helen smiled guiltily.
тАЬI must apologize for being curt with you,тАЭ she said.
тАЬQuite all right,тАЭ he answered. тАЬYour home town?тАЭ He moved his head backward
in the direction from which they had come.
тАЬYes.тАЭ Carl rose before her eyesтАФCarl as he had been when they were first
married. This young man was like him in some ways. The same age, but a little more
mature. A little more grown up.
тАЬIтАЩm Eric Trent,тАЭ he was saying. She jerked her thoughts back to the present.
тАЬGlad to know you, Eric Trent,тАЭ she said. тАЬMy name is Helen, Helen Hanover.тАЭ
She wondered why she had chosen that name. Hanover was her maiden name,
the name she had been born under. She had never even told Carl that name, yet she
was using it now.
She glanced down at the lapel pin again. Eric raised his hand and rubbed the pin
with his fingers.
тАЬA sort of a lodge pin,тАЭ he explained. тАЬA very exclusive lodge.тАЭ
тАЬIn what way?тАЭ Helen asked. тАЬYou donтАЩt look like the sort of person to join
exclusive organizations.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩm not, really,тАЭ Eric answered. тАЬAnd its members arenтАЩt snooty or anything like
that. As a matter of fact itтАЩs the most democratic group in the world. Only, you
almost have to be born into it.тАЭ
тАЬOh,тАЭ Helen remarked. тАЬAre there any women in it?тАЭ
тАЬA few, I suppose,тАЭ Eric said in a tone of dismissing the subject. тАЬAre you going
to Chicago for a visit?тАЭ
тАЬNo,тАЭ Helen replied, smiling to herself at the adroit way he had changed the
subject. тАЬTo live there. Perhaps just to visit and then go on to some other place. My
father just died and there isnтАЩt anything to hold me in Dubuque any more.тАЭ
тАЬI see,тАЭ Eric said. тАЬSorry to hear it.тАЭ
тАЬThat pin,тАЭ Helen said. тАЬWhat does the symbol mean? It must mean something.тАЭ
тАЬLodge secret,тАЭ Eric winked slyly. тАЬWe have to solemnly swear never to tell.тАЭ
Helen found herself laughing gaily, feeling as young as she looked. She wanted to
know more about this young man named Eric Trent. He was enough older than she
looked for her to recapture the feeling of being young.
тАЬDo you live in Chicago, Mr. Trent?тАЭ
тАЬIn a way you might say I do,тАЭ was the reply. тАЬWith me all roads lead to
Chicago; so you might call it home, though I average less than two months a year
there. The rest of the time IтАЩm following my work.тАЭ
тАЬWhat is your work?тАЭ Helen asked.
тАЬSomething youтАЩve never heard of, IтАЩll bet,тАЭ Eric answered. тАЬI just travel around,
eating in caf├йs, living in hotels, going to churches, libraries, parks, and wherever my
nose leads me. IтАЩm national pulse-feeler for a concern that thinks itтАЩs worth money
to have an expert constantly feeling the national pulse.тАЭ
тАЬSort of a Gallup poll on the hoof,тАЭ Helen joked.
тАЬRight.тАЭ Eric grinned. тАЬThey have an advantage over the mail order type. There
you just find out the opinions of a cross section of the public. With the galloping
poll we can be Paul Reveres when the occasion warrants it, and sort of shape public
opinion in certain directions.тАЭ