"Steven Popkes - [SS] Bread and Circus" - читать интересную книгу автора (Popkes Steven)

“What’s the difference?” Mike started running onto the field. He didn’t
like where this was going.
 “Tell you the truth, I’m color blind. I only went into this business
because my father wanted me to. I wanted to be a musician.”

The resounding whacks between Carly and Tom sounded like
gunshots. Victor ran between them to stop it.

“No!” Mike yelled across the field.

“I suppose you’re right. My being a musician has nothing to do with
tile. I think your wife’s partial to Daffodil.”

Tom brought those jaws down on Victor and flung him off the field.
Victor screamed.

“Daffodil!” shouted Mike and switched over to the staff channel to get
Doc Wilson.

Tom shook himself and looked around. He saw Victor writhing by the
net. Tom shook his head and backed away.

Victor lay still, panting. Wilson came up at a dead run and slapped
patchaderm kits on all of the open wounds. The patchaderm foamed like
bad beer and then set hard, showing the extent of each wound by a
distinctive color. Wilson ignored them, concentrating on correctly fastening
the leads on Victor’s neck. He sank them deep into the flesh and looked at
the readout. Wilson visibly relaxed. He gestured at the readout. “No broken
bones or neurodamage. Just nasty trauma. These guys are built tough.”

Mike nodded and put a call down to the substitute pen. Victor was out
of the game. “Warm up Vern. He’s got five minutes.”

****

Al: Whoa! Tom must be on a hair trigger tonight. That’s a costly
mistake.

John: That’s right. Not only is Victor now on the disabled list, the
referees are flagging a five-minute penalty on the Braves for unnecessary
roughness against a fellow team member. So the Braves will have to play
short-handed.

Al: That’s longer than roughing against an opposing team member.
Why?
 John: It’s to reinforce sportsmanship, Al. Players have to be
reminded that they’re on the same team. It also gives the Coach time to
warm up a substitute player. It looks like Vernon HeBei is going to be
Victor’s substitute. That could be exciting. This is his first time in the