"WILHELM, KATE - FOR THE DEFENSE" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wilhelm Kate)

For The Defense
by
Kate Wilhelm

FAWCETT CREST NEW YORK

PROLOGUE.

if he almost closes his eyes a certain way, the trees turn into black
monsters that start to rush at him; then they go right by-whoosh--and
the sun hits his eyes and he has to close them the rest of the way.
Whoosh.

He wants to ask when they'll get there, but Gail told him grown-ups
don't like it if you ask more than once, and it's best to wait until you
have to go or something. He squinches his eyes again. Whoosh.

"Smell that?" Dad asks... He sits up straight and sniffs. River, trees,
the car, then he leans forward. Skunk. He can't see anything on the
road, but the smell is all around, not bad, not like it was when the
skunk got in their camp that time and they had to go away and camp
somewhere else.

"Remember when we tangled with the skunk over at John Day?" Dad asks,
turning to grin at him.

He nods happily. Maybe the skunk smell is really bad in Mr. Praeger's
truck. He hopes it is. He hasn't seen the red truck for a long time.
Maybe he had an accident and fell in the river. He hopes that, too.

"There's a shelter around here somewhere," Dad says.

"Get your shoes on and we'll stretch our legs, have a look. That's where
we'll camp tonight."

"Mr. Praeger won't stay with us, will he?"

"No way. Don't worry about him." He slows down and then pulls to the
side of the road and stops.

"See? Told you."

Teddy laughs and pulls on his sneakers. He doesn't bother to tie them.
Outside, with no more car noise, the only sound is the river, and the
wind making whispers in the trees.

"Can I go look at the river?"

"Not now. Later, when we camp, there'll be plenty of time. If you have
to go, now's your chance. Back around the shelter."