"Ed Howdershelt - Mindy" - читать интересную книгу автора (Howdershelt Ed)

People were staring at us as we left my tent and wandered in search of Lodnar's tent. Some
of the ladies were giggling as we passed, so it seemed reasonable that the tale had not only
been told, it had likely been embellished a bit in each telling.
"What do you think they heard?" I asked Mindy.
"Something more than the truth, from the sound of them."
"Seems likely. Do we do anything about it?"
"What's to do? They'll believe what they want, right or wrong."
I made a deal with Lodnar for a huge bottle of gin, then we dropped byMindy's tent for ice.
A husky guy still half-dressed in armor was standing just inside the tentflap, facing the
interior. I glanced at Mindy. Was this going to be an old, or a current, boyfriend?
Mindy reached through the tentflap and slapped his armored leg to secure his attention. Her
action reminded me of someone handling a horse in a stall. Mindy's tone was demanding as she
asked, "Bryce, why the hell are you in our tent? Where's Diane?"
"Diane told me that someone told her you were in trouble in some guy's tent. Is this the
guy?" He sounded eager to do something, anything on her behalf.
"Bryce, STAY," commanded Mindy. Bryce's eyes narrowed, but he didn't move. "I wasn't in
trouble and it obviously wasn't this tent. This guy's a friend. Where's Diane?"
"She's a feast volunteer," he replied sullenly, "She's busy at the tables."
"Well, why don't you go tell her I don't need rescued. We'll go over there a little later."
The guy glared at me as he pushed past me and left the tent, fairly stomping down the trail.
I looked at Mindy, but she waved me off. "I wasn't too hard on him. He's been after Diane
and/or me for a year, and he has a talent for being a real ass. He was about to try to
heroically impress me just now, using you."
"I gathered that. Mind telling me why you can order him around the way you did? He didn't
like it, but he followed orders."
"He knows I can take him, for one thing. He'd love for me to take him, in another sense. Or
Diane. He'd be happy with either of us. It'll never happen, though. Diane uses him as a
choreboy at events, which just keeps his hopes up. That can make people mean when they've
had enough of it, and he's already got a mean streak. I don't encourage him at all."
 "What an absolute cad," I said, grinning, "Maybe it's because you're both beautiful?"
"She's very good looking. Did you pull that out of my head, too?"
Cold and sharp, the first slug of gin-laced Coke raced to the bottom. It wasn't what I
usually drink, but wasn't too bad, surprisingly enough. I reminded myself to be careful.
"No," I said, "I didn't. It was a real, live guess."

Chapter Two

We sipped gin and talked away the two hours or so before the feast was to start, probing
each other now and then with things said or asked. Mindy spoke her mind without much
hesitation. She also asked rather candid questions, I discovered.
A couple of kids ran past the tent. "You have any of those?" asked Mindy, "You aren't
extremely short, fat, or ugly," she said, "So why aren't you here with a wife or girlfriend?"
"No kids. I got fixed back in 1971. I'm not married, I've only been back from Germany about a
month, and I haven't met anyone else who really grabbed my attention."
Our cups were almost empty. I dosed each with ice and gin and poured in the Coke. Mindy
looked as if she were making her mind up about something, then asked," 'Else'? That means
I've managed to grab your attention?" It was a direct question without a hint of frivolity in her
tone. I stopped pouring her new drink and looked up at her. Mindy's gaze was rock-steady as
she waited for the answer.
I looked in her eyes and said simply, "Yes, you have," then I finished pouring and capped the