"Christopher Pike - The Immortal" - читать интересную книгу автора (Pike Christopher)

finally asked.

I took a moment to answer. I knew this story. My father and I were alike in that way. We didn't believe
stories were thought up. We felt they were uncovered. I felt my dad had begun to dust away a tale that
had

41
CHRISTOPHER PIKE

already been told--in another time and place. As he spoke of the characters, I had a sense of their
reality. The story would come out, I knew it would, but in its own time.

"I do have a few ideas," I said. "But I'd like to think about them for a while. Would that be all right?"

"Take as long as you like. I am."

I laughed and stood up. "We're not living on the streets yet. What are you doing this evening?"

"Silk and I are going to dinner later. Oh, I meant to tell you, before I got carried away talking about the
movie, Helen said she'd meet you at the Table, which is a restaurant in town. She said you walk in on the
main street, then turn right when you come to the fork in the road. She said she'd meet you at ten." He
checked his watch. "Which is in ten minutes."

"Helen will wait for me." The directions were not precise, but I figured if I got lost I could always ask
around. "Do you want Helen and me to join you?"
My dad gave me a knowing look. "You two don't want to be saddled with us when you're flirting with
boys." His face grew serious. "I heard you swam out too far this afternoon and almost drowned."

That Helen, I thought, what a mouth. I brushed the remark aside with my hand. "I got a little cramp is all.
It was nothing."

"Did you have any pain in your chest?"

"No. The cramp was in my right hamstring." I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry about me.
Nothing can kill me. I'm immortal."
42

THE IMMORTAL

He was reassured. "Parents would like to think that's true of their children. But still, Josie, be careful next
time."

I started for the door. "I will. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Good. We'll go exploring together."

I avoided the lounge on the way out so that I didn't have to talk to Silk again. My scooter keys were in
my pocket, but I was reluctant to take the bike into town. I knew I would have to park it at the edge of
the city. Most of the streets of Hora were as narrow as sidewalks, and Helen had already warned me
that people didn't appreciate having to jump out of the way of bikes. The town was close. Taking the