"Chalker, Jack L - G.o.d. Inc. 2 - The Shadow Dancers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Chalker Jack L)

always knew what I needed, and I could feel his own hurt and shame. Damn it! I'd
asked for this! I really wished now that I'd listened to him and not spent all
my time feelin' sorry for myself. I never wanted dear old Philadelphia and that
mink-lined apartment more than now, and I'd've even given it all up and moved
back to roach heaven in Camden right then.
"I'm sowwy," I sniffled. "I juth-it ain't what I thought it would be."
He sighed and kept on rubbin'. "I know, babe, I know. But it is just like
putting on the hooker outfit and staking out the hourly motels. It's just a
higher league. They can make the disguise so perfect it's scary. When you figure
they can make themselves pass for us, and learn English in their spare time with
a gadget, they just don't think of what it can do to us poor primitive mortals."
"I'm thcared, Tham," I told him. "Weal thcared. I want to caw it off."
He sighed again. "You saw them down there. You saw how they regarded us, how
they talked about the other worlds. We're their toys, their playthings. They
want this Vogel because he's a threat to them, not us. Their only opening is in
two days. Not enough time to recruit and train somebody new."
"They can't make me do it!"
"You want to walk down and quit? Come on, babe, get hold of yourself. There's
nothing I'd like more than for you to cancel out. They'd send us back, but
they'd be damned angry at being inconvenienced. They'd have to come up with a
different, even trickier, plan and maybe risk the necks of some of their own.
They'd send you back just like you are now, and then they'd cut us off
completely. You'd be stuck looking as you are now, speech impediments and all,
and we'd be out on the streets with nothing."
I turned around and looked at him with this strange face. "And what if I did
that anyway and they did that? Would we thtill be togetha?"
He kissed me. "You're still a pretty woman, babe, just different looking than
I'm used to. But you're still you, inside, and that's who I married anyway. As
for the money -how many Brandys can I buy for two million plus bucks? None. I
started out with nothing, and I'll probably end up with nothing no matter what.
If money mattered to me I'd be top salesman at my uncle's car showroom in
Harrisburg, or maybe starting my own dealership by now. Or I'd be a comfortable
cop with a heavy pad."
I hugged him and kissed him and never have I been more in love than right then
and there. I just wanted to give myself to him, to fuck his brains out, and I
planned to, but first I said, softly, "Tham-do you think it can be done? Do you
think / can do it? Sthrait anthwa, now. No jive."
"It's possible," he answered, and I knew he was tellin' the truth. "And if
anybody can pull it off, you can."
"Then, I'w'l do it, juth to thee them have to fork ova that money."
And then we made love for a long, long time.
I didn't get much sleep, and neither did Sam, even after we got done, but I was
somehow real wide awake that mornin'. We did get to talkin', though.
"You think one of them'th the big twaita?" He nodded. "And so does Aldrath. I
think you're safe, though. Whoever's behind this is a big risk taker but he's no
fool. He'll know he's been set up and sit it out. They've been on the hot seat,
whoever they are, since the word came that Vogel was exposed, and they haven't
dared try to reach him with any messages. They're stuck. They have to let this
go down and work around it."
"But if Vogel knowth who, then they hav'ta act."