"Elizabeth Hand - Chip Crockett's Xmas Carol" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hand Elizabeth)

salary, benefits, and respect. He heard a crackle of
static as Tony ran into the corridor, shouting.

"Whoa! Nelson Crane, man! Slow down, okay? Okay.
Yeah, I guess it was lung cancer. Did you know he
smoked?"

"You're talking about Chip Crockett the kiddie show
host. Right?" Brendan rubbed his forehead, feeling
the beginning of a headache. "No, Tony, I didn't
know he smoked, because I don't actually know Chip
Crockett. Do you?"

"No. Remember Ogden Orff? That time he got the
milk jug stuck on his nose? 'That's my boy, Ogden
Orff!' " Tony intoned, then giggled. "And that
puppet? Ooga Booga? The one with the nose?"

"Ogden Orff." Brendan leaned back in his chair.
Despite himself, he smiled. "God, yeah, I remember.
And the other one—that puppet who sang? He did
'Mister Bassman' and that witch doctor song. I loved
him.…"

"That wasn't a puppet. That was Captain
Dingbat—you know, the D.J. character."

"Are you sure? I thought it was a puppet."

"No way, man. I mean, yes! I am ab-so-lute-ly
sure—"

An earsplitting whistle echoed over the line. Brendan
winced and held the phone at arm's-length, drew it
back in time to hear Tony's voice fading.

"Hey man, that's the bell, I gotta go. I'll fax this to
you before I leave, okay? Oh, and hey, we're still on
for Thursday, right?"

Brendan nodded. "Right," he said, but Tony was
already gone.

Late that afternoon the fax arrived. Brendan's
secretary gave it to him, the curling cover sheet
covered with Tony's nearly illegible scrawl.

OGDEN ORFF LIVES! SEE YA THURS. AT
CHILDE ROLAND.