"Asprin, Robert - Myth 09 - M.Y.T.H Inc. In Action" - читать интересную книгу автора (Asprin Robert)

Chapter Eleven

"That's why the lady is a tramp!"
B. Midler

"hOoOo-eY! The place is sure jumpin' tonight!" Shu Flie excl aims, leanin' back in his chair to survey the room.

"You kin say that again, Shu, " his brother sez.

"Hey! Lookit that one over there!"

Any way youse look at it, the Flie brothers run a class act... though politeness will forbid my commentin' on which class. For a change, however, I am inclined to agree with them.

This is our first weekend in twixt, much less here at Abdul's, and the bar is packed to over-flowin'. In fact, if we hadn't been drinkin' here since early afternoon, it's doubtful we would have a table at all. As it is, we are entrenched at our regular table with a good view of the bar... Or, to be more specific the de-rears arrayed along the bar... As well as the de -fronts when they turn around. Believe me, speakin' as a well-travel ed demon, youse Don't get scenery like this just anywhere! Unfortunately, my enjoyment of the view is marred by my distraction over the co min' events.

"Whatda ya think Swatter?" Shu sez, turnin' his attention to me." You ever see women like this before?"

"Oh, they're not bad/' I sez, cranin' my neck to scan the crowd. it has occurred to me that Tananda will probably be in disguise when she arrives, and it will therefore be difficult for me to recognize her unless she gives me some kind of sign al,

"Not bad? Listen to this, guys! All this beautiful woman-flesh, and all Swatter can say is they're not bad'!"

"Really, Swatter," Junebug sez. "You just Don't see beautiful women like this in the army!"

This earns him a dangerous scowl from Spyder, but he misses it co MPletely as he is feelin' his drinks more than a little at this point.

"Nice crowd for a fight. know what I mean, cuz?" Nunzio murmurs in my ear low enough so no one else can hear.

"I dunno, " I sez, scanning' the crowd again. "I Don't see a single one of these white collar type s that even Bee couldn't take without ha lf tryin'."

"That's what I mean, " Nunzio grins, and helps himself to another swallow from his drink.

as you can maybe tell from his behavior, the hesitations I have been experiencin' about set tin' up one of our buddies has not bothered my cousin in the least. If any thing, he seems to be lookin' forward to a bit of trouble.

"Watch my chair, " I sez, standing up. "I'm goin' to the bar for a refill." Like I said, the place is mobbed, and in typical tightfisted Deveel type fashion, Frumple has not incurred the added over head of puttin' on extra help, so if youse wants to get a drink sometime before the next Ice age, it is necessitated that youse belly up to the bar to get your refill directly from the bartender. If youse is wonderin' why someone as greedy as Frumple is willin' to miss the extra income generated by a higher turnover of drinks, let me restore your faith by explainin' that he makes it up both by waterin' the hootch and by increasin' his unit revenue... Which is to say he raises his prices as the crowds get bigger. strangely enough, neither the weaker drinks nor the sky -high pr ices seem to faze this crowd in the least. I figure this is because they feel that pa yin' three times the normal goin' fare for a drink will screen out the rabble one usually has to tolerate when drinkin' in a public place, thereby insurin'

I am reflectin' on this when a broad elbows her way in next to me at the bar. At first I think she is just really desperate for a drink, which as I said is understandable considerin' the slow service, and step aside, usin' my not inconsiderable bulk to make room for her.

"Got my tar get picked out for me?"

It takes a second for me to realize that I am the one this question is bein' addressed to, as she sez it casual without lookin' at me direct.

"Tananda?" I sez, lookin' at her hard. She is wearin' a different disguise tonight... a shoulder length cloud of dark curls and a dress made of some clingy fabric that... Well, shows off everything she's got underneath it.

"Don't look at me!" she hisses, quietly grindin' a heel onto my toe to e MPhasize her point while glancin' at the ceilin'. "We aren't supposed to know each other... remember?"

"Oh, right... Sorry."

I go back to starin' into my glass, doin' my best to ignore her presence... Which is not easy as the crowd is pres sin' a considerable amount of her against me as we're standin' there.