"Roger Zelazny - Amber Chronicles, The 06 - Trumps of Doom" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zelazny Roger)

I drove by and saw that the place was open. I parked a couple of blocks
up the street and walked back. I had been alert all of the way across town,
but could not detect any sign that I was being followed.
A cool breeze touched me as I walked; hinting of rain. I saw Rick
through the store's window, seated at his high counter reading a book. There
was no one else in sight in the place.
A small bell jangled above the door as I entered, and he looked up. He
straightened and his eyes widened as I approached.
"Hi," I said, pausing then for a moment. "Rick, I don't know whether
you remember me."
"You're Merle Corey," he stated softly.
"Right." I leaned on the counter and he drew back. "I wondered whether
you might be able to help me with a little information."
"What kind of information?"
"It's about Julia," I said.
"Look," he answered, "I never went near her until after you two had
broken up."
"Huh? No, no, you don't understand. I don't care about that. It's more
recent information that I need. She'd been trying to get in touch with me
this past week and-"
He shook his head:
"I haven't heard from her for a couple of months."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, we stopped seeing each other. Different interests, you know?"
"Was she okay when you-stopped seeing each other?"
"I guess so."
I stared straight into his eyes and he winced. I didn't like that "I
guess so." I could see that he was a little afraid of me so I decided to
push it.
"What do you mean `different interests'?" I asked.
"Well, she got a little weird, you know?" he said.
"I don't know. Tell me."
He licked his lips and looked away "I don't want any trouble," he
stated.
"I'd rather not indulge either. What was the matter?"
"Well," he said, "she was scared."
"Scared? Of what?"
"Uh-of you."
"Me? That's ridiculous. I never did anything to frighten her. What did
she say?"
"She never said it in so many words, but I could tell, whenever your
name came up. Then she developed all these funny interests."
"You've lost me," I said. "Completely. She got weird? She got funny
interests? What kind? What was going on? I really don't understand, and I'd
like to."
He got to his feet and headed for the rear of the store, glancing at me
as if I should follow him. I did.
He slowed when he reached a section full of books on natural healing
and organic farming and martial arts and herbal remedies and having babies
at home, but he went on past it into the hardcore occult section.