"Richard Brautigan - in_watermelon_sugar" - читать интересную книгу автора (Brautigan Richard)

a new dress and I could see the pleasant outlines of her body.
The dress had a low front and I could see the delicate curve
of her breasts. I was quite pleased by everything. The dress
smelled sweet because it was made from watermelon sugar.
"How's the book coming?" Charley said.
"Fine," I said. "Just fine."
"I hope it's not about pine needles," he said.
Pauline served me first. She gave me a great big helping of
stew. Everybody was aware of me being served first and the
size of the helping, and everybody smiled, for they knew what
it meant, and they were happy for the thing that was going on.
Most of them did not like Margaret any more. Almost everybody
thought that she had conspired with inBOiL and that gang
of his, though there had never been any real evidence.
"This stew really tastes good," Fred said. He put a big spoonful
of stew in his mouth, almost spilling some on his overalls.
"Ummmm--good," he repeated and then said under his breath,
"A lot better than carrots."
Al almost heard him. He looked hard for a second over at
Fred, but he didn't quite catch it because he relaxed then and
said, "It certainly is, Fred."
Pauline laughed slightly, for she had heard Fred's comment
and I gave her a look as if to say: Don't laugh too hard, deary.
You know how Al is about his cooking.

17

Pauline nodded understandingly.
"Just as long as it isn't about pine needles," Charley repeated,
though a good ten minutes had passed since he'd said anything
and that had been about pine needles, too.

18

The Tigers

after dinner Fred said that he would do the dishes. Pauline said
oh no, but Fred insisted by actually starting to clear the table. He picked up some spoons and plates, and that settled it.
Charley said that he thought he would go in the living room
and sit by the river and smoke a pipe. Al yawned. The other
guys said that they would do other things, and went off to do
them.
And then Old Chuck came in.
"What took you so long?" Pauline said.
"I decided to rest by the river. I fell asleep and had a long
dream about the tigers. I dreamt they were back again."
"Sounds horrible," Pauline said. She shivered and kind of
drew her shoulders in like a bird and put her hands on them.
"No, it was all right," Old Chuck said. He sat down in a chair.
It took him a long time to sit down and then it was as if the chair