"Matt Ruff - Bad Monkeys" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ruff Matt)

if youтАЩd like.тАЭ

тАЬI could?тАЭ

тАЬYes. In fact, I think that would be an excellent idea.тАЭ

It sounded like an OK idea to me, too, but there was obviously a catch. тАЬWell,тАЭ I hedged, тАЬof course IтАЩd
have to ask my aunt and uncle firstтАжтАЭ

тАЬOh, IтАЩm sure they wonтАЩt object. You just let me talk to them. Here!тАЭ He stood up, and dusted off the
stool heтАЩd been sitting on. тАЬHere, sit down, relax! Would you like some ice cream?тАЭ

Later, Carlotta told me what was up. The previous spring, sheтАЩd been kicked off the school bus twice for
fighting, and after the second time, the driver refused to let her back on without a written apology. But
Se├▒or Diaz wouldnтАЩt hear of it: тАЬHe wanted the bus driver fired, you know, for violating my civil rights?
But the superintendent wouldnтАЩt do that, so now my father wants to send me to a private school, only he
wants the superintendent to pay for it. So weтАЩve got this lawsuit, but until we win, IтАЩve still got to go to
the public school.тАЭ But not by bus. Instead, CarlottaтАЩs mother would drive her to school in the morning,
and her brother would pick her up at the end of the day. тАЬWhich is OK, except it means a lot of waiting,
especially in the afternoon. Felipe canтАЩt leave the gas station before somebody else takes over for him,
and some days thatтАЩs not until five or six.тАЭ

тАЬSo youтАЩve just got to hang out at the school until then?тАЭ

тАЬWell, I donтАЩt have toтАФI could walk back, itтАЩs only like two milesтАФbut my father gets real mad if I do
that. He says itтАЩs too dangerous, especially now, with the death angel.тАЭ

тАЬThe who?тАЭ

Most newspapers referred to him as the Route 99 KillerтАФan anonymous somebody whoтАЩd been
traveling up and down the highway for the last year, grabbing kids out of rest stops while their parents
were distractedтАФbut a couple of tabloids, noticing that he only took boys, had given him a new name.

тАЬThe Angel of Death,тАЭ Carlotta said. тАЬLike the one in Egypt, who killed the firstborn sons? And I told my
father, тАШHey, IтАЩm not a boy, what do I have to worry about?тАЩ but he said, тАШWhat if the guy makes a
mistake? You think once he gets you in his car and sees youтАЩre a girl, heтАЩs just going to let you go?тАЩтАЭ

Which explained why Se├▒or Diaz wanted me riding along with his daughter: he figured with someone to
keep her company, sheтАЩd be less likely to get bored and go for a stroll along the roadside. Plus, of the
two of us, I was definitely the more butch-looking, so if the worst happened, chances were the Angel
would take me.

Se├▒or Diaz sounds like a great humanitarian.

Eh, you know. Parents. I couldnтАЩt really bring myself to be offended. Anyway, this is going to sound
twisted, but it was kind of exciting, thinking about the danger. I mean thatтАЩs one reason people believe in
the bogeyman, right? It makes the dark more entertaining.

And itтАЩs not like I thought we were ever actually going to run into the guy. If I had any doubts on that
score, they disappeared the minute my aunt and uncle said OK to Se├▒or DiazтАЩs offer. I had to figure if