"Steven Gould - Wildside" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gould Stephen Jay)

Wildside
Steven Gould


PROLOGUE
Masha,

Sorry, I'm dead.

Less than two kilometers from gate. Compound fracture left tibia and fibula. Like extra
knee. Damn old brittle bones. Bleeding stopped but smell attracting company.

Tried to straighten break—passed out. Woken by wild dog sniffing leg. Ran when I
shouted. Don't want to pass out again.

Have .45 and extra clip. Killed one dog. Others on it before it finished dying.

Will save last bullet.

Built tiny fire with deadwood and grass in reach. Out of water. Will put note in canteen.
Should protect.

Great pain. Pitiful fire but makes me feel better.

Dogs left when sabertooth came—back after I killed it. Small smilodon, immature, I
guess. Canines less than four inches. Seen bigger stalking bison. Dogs like it. Dogs may get to
like me if I keep killing things.

Time to put note in canteen. Dogs left again. Dire wolves.




PART ONE

PREPARATIONS


CHAPTER ONE

"THEY'RE EXTINCT."
Clara drove a motorcycle. Rick's junker was down for the count and his mom wouldn't let him
use her car. Marie, despite her pilot's license, didn't drive, and Joey, the idiot, had his license
suspended for DWI. So I drove. I didn't even want to go, but there you have it, Charlie to the rescue,
one more time.

That week Dad was flying the DFW-DC-Boston route, so Mom said I could take the big
Lincoln Town Car. I dressed like a chauffeur, in a black suit and billed hat.

Rick was sitting on the porch steps when I pulled up. He was wearing a tux, a plastic florist's