"Steven Popkes - [SS] Bread and Circus" - читать интересную книгу автора (Popkes Steven)

Tom stopped it with his chest and when the ball hit the ground, he
covered it with his foot. Mike automatically started counting: one.

Tom continued forward onto his other foot, then rolled in midair,
cocking the foot with the ball as limber and graceful as if heтАЩd been a
Velociraptor himself.

HeтАЩs been practicing this, he thought with awe. Still counting: two.

Tom let go, all thirty-two hundred pounds of muscle behind the ball. It
shot across the field inhumanly fast. Sebastian never had time to move. It
struck him right in the chest and broke right through his ribs and stomach,
almost breaking out his back.

Sebastian looked at the hole, then at Tom, then fell slowly forward.

The bending of his body popped the ball out his back and it rolled
gently into the goal.

The whistle blew.

****

Al: If thatтАЩs not the best finish to a game IтАЩve ever seenтАФ

John: The referees have just ruled that Tom did not violate the
three-second rule.

Al: Did they have a roughness call on Tom?

John: No. TheyтАЩve decided nothing illegal happened and the goal is
legal.

Al: ItтАЩs official. Viewers at home heard it here first. The Braves are
going to the series for the first time in six years.

John: Stay tuned for the post-game analysis. After that, weтАЩll bring
you films and analysis of the Gorilla Sumo matches in Japan. Keep
watching.

****

Mike looked at the cast. It looked garish in the fluorescent lights of the
medical bay. тАЬThanks.тАЭ

тАЬYou wonтАЩt thank me when the painkillers wear off,тАЭ said Wilson. тАЬBut
youтАЩll be in fine shape for the series.тАЭ

тАЬSo my hand will be okay?тАЭ