Девять рассказов
Pretty Mouth and Green my Eyes
Shehadpickeduptheashtrayandwasputtingitbetweenthem."Youlose,then,orwhat?"hesaidintothephone.
"What?"
"Isaid,Didyoulose?"
"Yeah.Iwasgonnatellyouaboutit.Ididn’tgetachanceattheparty,withalltheruckus.YouthinkJunior’llhittheceiling?NotthatIgiveagoodgoddam,butwhatdoyouthink?Thinkhewill?"
Withhislefthand,thegray-hairedmanshapedtheashofhiscigaretteontherimoftheashtray."Idon’tthinkhe’llnecessarilyhittheceiling,Arthur,"hesaidquietly."Chancesareverymuchinfavor,though,thathe’snotgoingtobeoverjoyedaboutit.Youknowhowlongwe’vehandledthosethreebloodyhotels?OldmanShanleyhimselfstartedthewhole—"
"Iknow,Iknow.Junior’stoldmeaboutitatleastfiftytimes.It’soneofthemostbeautifulstoriesIeverheardinmylife.Allright,soIlostthegoddamcase.Inthefirstplace,itwasn’tmyfault.First,thislunaticVittoriobaitsmeallthroughthetrial.Thenthismoronchambermaidstartspassingoutsheetsfullofbedbug—"
"Nobody’ssayingit’syourfault,Arthur,"thegrayhairedmansaid."YouaskedmeifIthoughtJuniorwouldhittheceiling.Isimplygaveyouanhonest—"
"Iknow—Iknowthat....Idon’tknow.Whatthehell.ImaygobackintheArmyanyway.Itellyouaboutthat?"
Thegray-hairedmanturnedhisheadagaintowardthegirl,perhapstoshowherhowforbearing,evenstoic,hiscountenancewas.Butthegirlmissedseeingit.
