"Rudy Rucker & Marc Laidlaw - The Perfect Wave" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rucker Rudy)

Del works behind the pizza counter; heтАЩs a short young fellow with a
plain, honest face. He serves a man a slice of CheezemoreтАЩs Hawaiian
pizza: roasted fresh pineapple, Serrano ham, and locally made mozzarella
topped with roasted Kona coffee beansтАФthen turns to smile at the girl
beside him filling a pitcher with dark beer. Both of them are wearing top
hats like Cheezemore Ratt, with little pins saying Slicer.

тАЬAlmost closing time, Jen,тАЭ says Del. тАЬYou want to stick around? Mr.
Prospero said I could play The Perfect Wave free all night if IтАЩd mop the
place. ThatтАЩs hundreds of dollars worth of play-time. IтАЩm really moving up
the tournament ladder. You could watch me play.тАЭ

тАЬHow do you surf on a ladder?тАЭ says Jen absently. тАЬAnyway, sorry, I
need to get out of this box.тАЭ SheтАЩs cute with high blonde pigtails, though her
face is drawn. Her bloom of youth is fading, with only work in sight.

тАЬI think itтАЩs fun here,тАЭ says Del. тАЬWorking next to you every day. When
are you off this week?тАЭ
 тАЬMonday.тАЭ

тАЬDamn, IтАЩm only free on Tuesday. Maybe I can change to Monday and
we can take a picnic out to Bitchin Kitchen beach where ZepтАЩs camped out.
Surf the day away.тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩm malling on Monday,тАЭ says Jen. тАЬI have to find a dress for Zep and
KayaтАЩs wedding.тАЭ

тАЬWedding!тАЭ said Del. тАЬZep only met her yesterday.тАЭ

тАЬOh, sheтАЩs known him a long time,тАЭ says Jen. тАЬHe has such a bad
memory. SheтАЩs been, like, tracking him, and now sheтАЩs finally hooked up
with him, and sheтАЩs using astrological birth control, and you know what that
means.тАЭ Jen arches her back, grins and pats her stomach. тАЬWedding in
July!тАЭ

тАЬGood thing Zep got Mr. Prospero to hire him for the mural,тАЭ says Del,
shaking his head. тАЬHeтАЩs gonna need an apartment, or at least a room. Poor
guy. He has this impossible dream of buying a beach cottage.тАЭ

тАЬKayaтАЩs really rich,тАЭ says Jen. тАЬDoesnтАЩt he know that? She plans for
Zep to finish college. Do you think Zep will thrash his mural? How did he
even convince Mr. Prospero that he could paint?тАЭ

тАЬDay before yesterday Zep showed Prospero some mural pictures in
a book from the library and claimed heтАЩd done them under a pseudonym,тАЭ
says Del with a snicker. тАЬYou know Zep. He can fake anything. And itтАЩs not
like ProsperoтАЩs paying him very much. ProsperoтАЩs always so brokeтАФfor a
guy who runs a business.тАЭ

ThereтАЩs a sudden squawk outside on the sidewalk, the sound of