"Foster, Alan Dean - Alien Nation" - читать интересную книгу автора (Foster Alan Dean)

inevitable that he not go.
Tuggle wasn't having any of it. "How can you not go? Don't give me your
excuses. Put on your wash-and-wear suit and your clip-on tie, have your
landlady tie your shoes for you, and show up at the church. Simple. Even
for somebody like you." He paused a moment, focusing his attention on the
row of illuminated storefronts sliding past on their right. "Me and Carol
are going."
That got Sykes's attention. "What?"
"Hey, look, you got no cause to say anything. We've known Kristin since
she was conceived in that cabin up at Big Bear." He sat a little
straighter behind the wheel and tried to lighten the mood. "Remember that
night? You and Edie banged the wall so hard, me and Carol were picking
plaster out of our hair for a week. I knew we should have insisted on
taking the upstairs. But naw, we had to go and be generous, let you guys
have the king bed. Some vacation that was. No sleep."
"Edie and me didn't sleep much ourselves, but then you already had that
figured out. " Sykes's newly won smile faded rapidly. "Goddamnit, Tug,
I want to see Kristin get married too, okay? More than I want just about
anything else. But I ... I I

Tuggle finished it for him. "But you're bummed out because your ex and
her husband are paying for the whole thing."
Sykes started to argue, changed his mind. Tuggle knew when his partner
was lying and would be too polite to point it out. That took any fun out
of trying.
"Shit, if Kristin had to get married where I could afford it, we'd be
holding the reception at Buddy Burgers. So what could I say? Kristin's
marrying money. Can't say that I blame her. We sure as hell never had any
of the stuff."
 14

" Look at it as Kristin's money. She'd want you to be there, buddy.
"I want to be there as much as she wants me to be there, but try and see
it my way, Tuggle. Father of the bride, the poor relation. Everybody on
the other side giving me those damn pitying looks rich folks reserve for
the rest of us who'll never own one of their colored credit cards. I got
too much pride left for that, Tug. It's about all I do have left."
"Screw your pride. You should go."
"Yeah, I know, I know. What're you, my goddamn fairy godmother?"
"That's me. Wanna see my wand?"
"What's to. . . " Sykes broke off abruptly. Only half his brain had been
concentrating on the seemingly insurmountable problem of whether or not
to attend the wedding of his only daughter.
The other half-the other half continued functioning on standard detective
op. Something he saw triggered the automatic alarm inside his head. It
also had the virtue of taking the rest of his brain off his pissed-off
mood. He nodded out the window.
"Uh-oh. Check it out."
Tuggle turned responsively, squinting. "Check what out? All I see is
dark."