"Robert Rankin - The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rankin Robert)

‘Oh,' said the lad once more.

'Nothing ever changes around here,' said the farmer. 'My forebears feasted upon the flesh of foolish
boys, and so do I. It's a family tradition. Their meat fills my belly and their clothing covers my person. I
would hardly be so big and fat and well-dressed if I subsisted upon crad alone, now, would I?'

'I suppose not,' said the lad, dismally. 'I gave you warnings,' said the farmer. 'I gave you opportunity to
avoid travelling to your inevitable doom. But did you listen?'

'Perhaps if youhad been more specific,' the lad suggested. 'I took your warnings to mean that the city
spelled my doom.'

'You didn't listen carefully enough,' said the farmer. 'But doom is doom, no matter how you spell it.
Unless, of course, you spell it differently from doom. But then it would be another word entirely, I
suppose.'

'I suppose it would,' the lad agreed, in the tone of one who now knew exactly how doom was spelled.
'But I have no one to blame but myself.'

'Well said.' The farmer grinned. 'And so, as the spikes have failed to do their job, I must do it with this
rock.' The farmer displayed the rock in question. It was round and of a goodly size. 'Perhaps you'd care
to close your eyes whilst I drop it onto your head?'

'Not so fast, please.' The lad tested his limbs for broken bones, but found himself intact, if all-over
bruised. 'How do you mean to haul my body from this pit?'

'I have grappling hooks,' said the farmer, 'fashioned for the purpose.'

'Hot work on such a day,' said the lad. 'Hard work, but honest toil justly rewarded, I suppose.'

'In that you are correct.'

'Butvery hard work, nonetheless.'

'And me with a bad back,' said the farmer. 'But what must be done, must be done.'

'Would it not make your job easier if you were to help me from the hole? Then I might walk with you to
your farmhouse, where you could brain me at your leisure?'

'Well, certainly it would,' said the farmer.

'Thus also sparing you all the effort of dragging my body.'

'You are most cooperative,' said the farmer. 'But there's no dragging involved. I have my horse and cart
with me.'

'Then let me climb aboard the cart. It's the least I can do.'

'I appreciate that,' said the farmer.