"Howard Waldrop - DisRxT" - читать интересную книгу автора (Waldrop Howard)

Sally saw that the machine he was on was a Murray Ohio Custom Atomic MissileтАФit sold for $28.95 in
the Western Auto catalog; the newest and most expensive pedal-car made. It was three-wheeled; unlike
Dave's Pursuit Plane, on this the wings and two wheels were in the back. The nose was streamlined like
an F-80 Shooting Star, and it had a high tail fin over the back wings. There were jet nacelles on the outer
tips of the wings. The nose above the front wheel was tilted upward, the steering wheel was a single
molded piece of black plastic, and the pedals and cranks went into a smooth molded casing; there was
probably a six to one chain drive. It was sky-blue and red; it said Supersonic, with a lightning bolt
through it on the nose, and on the tail fin was the Atomic Symbol.

The guy wore a Captain Video fishbowl space helmet, with the inflatable collar and the open lower third.
Inside the helmet, over his eyes, were a pair of Bwana Devil 3-D glasses. He wore an outfit that could
only be described as Early Buck Rogers.

"Call me Rocket Boy," he said.

And was gone. Just like that, although he must have taken some small space of time to do it.

Sticks just sat down in the middle of the sidewalk. Sally sat down beside him.

They didn't say anything for a while. The world had changed, as if the Lady of Fatima had come to them,
or King Kong had leaned around a building to look at them тАж

Then they got up and went on to the clubhouse.




┬╖┬╖┬╖┬╖┬╖



They didn't have long to wait. The next afternoon around two P.M., Dave was in the treehouse listening
to the rhythm and blues station. There was a skidding sound and the radio went off.

He went to the doorway and looked down, throwing his Walt Disney's Comics and Stories back on the
pile. Croupie, Sticks, and Sankandank were leaning out the clubhouse window.

The guy was there. Dave couldn't see his face for the reflection off the globe of the helmet. The machine
was as beautiful and overpowering as the others had said.

Rocket Boy looked up at Dave.

"Thrill Hill," he said. "Noon Thursday."

And he took off, leaving a cloud of dust in the air. They heard his chain-drive over on the next block.

Croupie came out and reconnected the extension cord to the clubhouse where Rocket Boy had
unplugged it. The radio came on behind Dave. Muddy Waters was singing "Another Mule Been Kickin'
in Your Stall."