"Harvey Jacobs - The Retriever" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jacobs Harvey)

"Boo," Aurora said when she saw what was inside. "I want to vomit.
This isn't even mine. I hate it."
"It's yours," Luna said. "And you once loved it."
"I don't even know what it is."
"It's a teething ring," Henry said. "There's a silver angel with an ivory
circle attached to its harp. And those are your initials engraved on the
ivory. It must be yours."
"Take a chew," Luna said. "Give it a try. It's a post-wean high, better
than a cigarette and no second-hand smoke."
Aurora put her tongue through the ring and pulled it into her mouth.
The ivory had no taste but it felt good against her gums. "Agh," she said.
"There you go," Luna said. "Yum, yum. Does it all come back to you?
Nasty little girl tossing the nice gift from grammy out of your carriage."
"Look at my wife," Henry said. "There's hardly anything left of her."
 "Well, I think the little bundle is about the right size now," Luna said.
"So if you don't mind, I'm in a bit of a hurry. I've got amazing seats for the
game tonight." He scooped up Aurora and bounced her in his palm. "This
is some baby. A genuine poster child. She could advertise mashed apricots
for Gerber." He folded the squirming Aurora and dropped her into his
pocket. "I love them at this age. They fit like a glove. Hey, quiet down,
squirt. When we get back to my office you'll get a nice long drink of warm
milk before sleepy time."
"Hold it," Henry said. "Answer one question. How did you come up with
that dumb stuff?"
"Her droppings? When she came knocking at my door I was ready to
offer my humble services. You all leave a trail, mark tree trunks, scatter
pebbles. You make my job easy. Uncle Joey does his homework. He just
follows those Hansel and Gretel crumbs along the forest floor. It's like
instant replay."
"Before Aurora found you she was a fully functional woman, vibrant,
attractive, a helpmate in every sense of the word."
"Tell me about it. Add juicy and jaunty. I was plenty surprised to see
her. Not my usual client."
"Aurora thought you were the second coming finding those things,"
Henry said. "But if you ask me it was all a scam because I think you
already knew exactly where to look. Some Retriever you are. Don't expect
any recommendations from me."
Joe Luna patted the pocket where Aurora made tiny wailing sounds.
"I'll leave my card anyhow," he said. "Because you never know."
When Luna left, Henry Platz tidied up the apartment and went looking
for the rest of the missing marbles.
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From "Fantasy and Science Fiction" (May, 2003)