"Connie Willis - Miracle and Other Christmas Stories" - читать интересную книгу автора (Willis Connie)

presents."
Lauren worked her way toward where the woman had pointed, looking over partitions as
she went. Fred was in the center one, leaning back in a chair, his hands folded over his ample
stomach, staring at a screen covered with yellow numbers.
"Excuse me," Lauren said, and Fred immediately sat forward and stood up.
"I need to talk to you," she said. "Is there somewhere we can talk privately?"
"Right here," Fred said. "My assistant's on the 800 line in my office, placing a catalog
order, and everyone else is next door in Graphic Design at a Tupperware party." He pushed a
key, and the computer screen went blank. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
"Evie said you're a magician," she said.
He looked embarrassed. "Not really. The PMS Committee put me in charge of the magic
show for the office party last year, and I came up with an act. This year, luckily, they assigned
me to play Santa Claus." He smiled and patted his stomach. "I'm the right shape for the part,
and I don't have to worry about the tricks not working."
"Oh, dear," Lauren said. "I hoped . . . do you know any magicians?"
"The guy at the novelty shop," he said, looking worried. "What's the matter? Did PMS
assign you the magic show this year?"
"No." She sat down on the edge of his desk. "My sister is into New Age stuff, and she sent
me this spirit—"
"Spirit," he said. "A ghost, you mean?"
"No. A person. I mean he looks like a person. He says he's the Spirit of Christmas Present,
as in Gift, not Here and Now."
"And you're sure he's not a person? I mean, tricks can sometimes really look like magic."
"There's a Christmas tree in my kitchen," she said.
"Christmas tree?" he said warily.
"Yes. The spirit was upset because my Christmas cards weren't on recycled paper. He
asked me if I knew how many trees were chopped down to send Christmas cards, then he
disappeared, and when I went back in the kitchen there was this Christmas tree in my
kitchen."
"And there's no way he could have gotten into your apartment earlier and put it there?"
"It's growing out of the floor. Besides, it wasn't there when we were in the kitchen five
minutes before. See, he was watching It's a Wonderful Life on TV, which, by the way, he
turned on without using the remote, and he asked me if I had any Evian water, and he went
into the kitchen and . . . this is ridiculous. You have to think I'm crazy. I think I'm crazy just
listening to myself tell this ridiculous story. Evian water!" She folded her arms. "People have
a lot of nervous breakdowns around Christmastime. Do you think I could be having
one?"
The woman with the wrapping-paper rolls peered over the cubicle. "Have you got a tape
dispenser?"
Fred shook his head.
"How about a stapler?"
Fred handed her his stapler, and she left.
"Well," Lauren said when she was sure the woman was gone, "do you think I'm having a
nervous breakdown?"
"That depends," he said.
"On what?"
"On whether there's really a tree growing out of your kitchen floor. You said he got angry
because your Christmas cards weren't on recycled paper. Do you think he's dangerous?"
"I don't know. He says he's here to give me whatever I want for Christmas. Except a fur
coat. He's opposed to the killing of endangered species."