"What-UncleGorby" - читать интересную книгу автора (What Leslie)

"Vanilla," he said. His toothy grin made Katya feel guilty; she knew that Noni
did not believe in feeding the boy sugar. Anther pointed to her new Matryeshka,
and Katya nodded, meaning he could play with it. She walked into the kitchen and
dished out ice cream topped with marshmallow sauce. She brought the bowls back
to the living room. Anther sat in her rocking chair, she on her couch. "Excuse
me one minute," she said. She dialed her father's number and let the phone ring
until her stepmother answered on the tenth ring.

"So," Katya said. "What happened?"

"I suppose you heard by now your father died," her stepmother said. "Funeral was
yesterday. Had a houseful of mourners, then. Not much to do about it now. If you
lived close by you could take home some of this food before it goes to waste. I
wish there was some way to ship it to you."

"I'm sorry," Katya said. "Do you want me to come?"

"Well, it's a little late for that, don't you think?"

Katya stared at her ice cream. "Did he say anything . . . about me?"

"Now Katya, don't start this again. I didn't make a transcript, you know."

"How?" Katya asked. "How did he die?"

"Dropped dead of a heart attack," her stepmother said. "Ate himself to death."

Katya said good-bye.

"Aren't you going to eat your ice cream?" Anther said.

"No," she answered, and handed her bowl to him. She noticed Vlad had stopped
swimming and lay belly up, his red eyes gone white. "Vlad is dead," she said, as
if noting it for an official record.

Anther brought the spoon to his mouth. "That's too bad."

Katya took Vlad's bowl away to empty into the toilet. She flushed and watched
him swirl in the tank, before spiraling downward into fish hell.

"Where's Vlad now?" asked Anther when she returned.

"He went for a little swim," she said.

"Oh," he said. "Maybe we should drive to the pet store and get another fish. I
could pick one out."

"Maybe," she said. "Finish your ice cream first."