Девять рассказов

           "Motherwantstoseeyourightaway,anyway,"Teddysaid.

           "You’realiar."

           "I’mnotaliar.Shedoes,"Teddysaid."Sopleasetakethisdownwithyouwhenyougo...C’mon,Booper."

           "What’sshewanttoseemefor?"Booperdemanded."Idon’twanttoseeher."ShesuddenlystruckMyron’shand,whichwasintheactofpickingoffthetopshuffleboarddiscfromtheredstack."Handsoff,"shesaid.

           TeddyhungthestrapattachedtotheLeicaaroundherneck."I’mserious,now.TakethisdowntoDaddyrightaway,andthenI’llseeyouatthepoollateron,"hesaid."I’llmeetyourightatthepoolatten-thirty.Orrightoutsidethatplacewhereyouchangeyourclothes.Beontime,now.It’swaydownonEDeck,don’tforget,soleaveyourselfplentyoftime."Heturned,andleft.

           "Ihateyou!Ihateeverybodyinthisocean!"Boopercalledafterhim.

           BelowtheSportsDeck,onthebroad,afterendoftheSunDeck,uncompromisinglyalfresco,weresomeseventy-fiveormoredeckchairs,setupandalignedsevenoreightrowsdeep,withaislesjustwideenoughforthedeckstewardtousewithoutunavoidablytrippingoverthesunningpassengers’paraphernaliaknittingbags,dust-jacketednovels,bottlesofsun-tanlotion,cameras.TheareawascrowdedwhenTeddyarrived.Hestartedattherearmostrowandmovedmethodically,fromrowtorow,stoppingateachchair,whetherornotitwasoccupied,toreadthenameplacardonitsarm.