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

Joey and Rick climbed in the other side, Joey straddling the stick shift, Rick with his knees
pulled up to fit in the seat.

Joey said, "Blow off a hundred thousand dollars?"

"Which would you prefer? Losing the hundred thousand or three hundred thousand?"

He didn't answer.

"Sierra Club."

"I want to talk to Mr. Saunderson right now."

"He's very busy. Can't you wait a minute?"

"No."

"Perhaps you could call back later."

"Perhaps you could connect me now or Mr. Saunderson will never hear from me again. I'm
pretty sure that's not what he wants. You have fifteen seconds." I held the watch next to the
mouthpiece and started the stopwatch. It chirped loudly into the phone.

There was no music this time. Another voice came onto the phone. "This is James Saunderson."

"One hundred thousand dollars for four female passenger pigeons. Are you interested?"

"Uh, that's a lot of money."

"Four females of an extinct species is quite a lot of bird. You have two days to think it over."

"How do I know—"

"Two days." I hung up.

We drove back to Bryan.

After dropping Rick and Joey off, I drove out University to the mostly empty strip mall across
from the Hilton. In one corner, next to a pool hall, the strip's only other tenant was a small office. The
sign on the door said, Luis Cervantes, Attorney.

I pushed in through a mirrored glass door. Sylvia, Luis's paralegal, was typing on a computer.

"Hello, Charlie. He's next door."

"Business is that good?"

She shrugged. "We were busy this morning. It's enough."