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

"Ha. He'll continue to let me fly the plane. That's payment enough."

We reached Crack-In-the-Jack and I ordered four coffees and one hot tea to go. "Try not to
spill it, guys. Or I'll hear about it."

I paused at the end of the driveway. "So, my place?"

"Sounds boring," said Joey.

Rick shrugged. Clara whispered something in Rick's ear, and he crossed his legs, then said,
"Let's do it."

Marie looked from me to Joey. "Sure. I've wanted to see what the place looks like from the
ground."

Joey looked stubborn and I said, "Come on, Joey. I've got a surprise for you out there. I've got
a surprise for all of you."

He relented. "Oh? Sure, why not. If there's a surprise."

"Let's just say it'll be worth your while."

Joey threw up halfway there, but gave us enough warning that Marie got the electric window
open. He got it all outside, thank God.

"I don't feel so good," he said.

Marie was frosty. "Imagine my surprise."

I handed him my tea, untasted. "Here—rinse your mouth out with this."

There was a combination padlock on the gate. I closed it behind us—there weren't any cattle on
the place, but I didn't want anybody to wander in. We drove on a gravel road through the live oaks,
down a hill, then came to the cluster of house, barn, and hangar. I stopped the car before the barn in
the light from a mercury vapor light mounted on the barn that lit the grass and dirt patch between the
buildings. I killed the car and we piled out.
 "How you feel, Joey?" Marie asked.

"Okay. Thirsty."

I unlocked the house and turned on the living room light. Then went into the kitchen and
bathroom, before returning to the living room with a big plastic glass.

"It'll taste a little funny. It's well water. Here's some aspirin, too."

He took three aspirin and drained most of the glass.

Clara and Rick were on the couch. They stopped necking when I spoke to Joey. "Nice place,"
said Clara. "Was this your uncle's stuff?"