"Ian Watson - The FireWorm" - читать интересную книгу автора (Watson Ian)

тАЬIтАЩm forty-eight, IтАЩll tell you that much. Born and bred in the Northeast. Worked for a shipping firm since
I was sixteen. Clerical stuff. Portage accounts, cargo insurance, seamenтАЩs wages. Accepted early
retirement last year. Glad to see the back of it. Horror kept me sane.тАЭ (Laughter.) тАЬWife, yes. Two
teenage kids. Two cats, an aquarium, and a parrot.тАЭ

Without warning Jack, Sally Butterworth had travelled up from London on the Saturday to meet her
mystery author. Did she suspect that he might have backed out of Fantasy Fayre if she had told him in
advance? Now she could buy him dinner at last.

Sally was chubby, fresh, effervescent, and talked with half a brick in her mouth. Roedean, then straight
into publishing. What could she know about ultimate horror? Aside from possessing a publisherтАЩs nose
for the marketable sort?

So Sally and accomplices whisked Jack off to the House of Mr. Chan in Bromsgrove Street for stuffed
crab claw followed by crispy duck with plum sauce.

тАЬMy God, did you really work in a shipping office for thirty years?тАЭ Sally asked him, laughing. тАЬYou
know, youтАЩve never supplied Mandarin with a publicity pic.тАЭ

тАЬHe wouldnтАЩt even send us one for the programme book,тАЭ chipped in Walt Keeley, chairperson of the
Fayre.

Cameras had been popping that weekend already. Sally pulled hers out from a patchwork leather
shoulder bag.

тАЬWould you mind, Jack? For Mandarin? And for me?тАЭ

Moustached, bespectacled, Jack grinned and allowed it.

тАЬYouтАЩll send me a copy, wonтАЩt you?тАЭ he said. Flash. Flash.

тАЬOf course. WhatтАЩs your wifeтАЩs name?тАЭ asked Sally.

тАЬHelen,тАЭ he told her.

тАЬSo what does Helen think of your secret life as one of the countryтАЩs prime horror scribes? I presume she
knows ?тАЭ teased Sally.

тАЬShe used to resent it a bit when I cloistered myself. But the moneyтАЩs useful.тАЭ

тАЬShe reads your books? Has opinions on them?тАЭ

тАЬShe prefers Catherine Cookson.тАЭ

тАЬAnd your children, Jack?тАЭ

тАЬPhilippa and Paul.тАЭ

тАЬDo they read their fatherтАЩs books?тАЭ