Девять рассказов
Just Before the War with the Eskimos
Ifyouneverphonedheruporany—"
"Icouldn’t,forChrissake!"
"Whynot?"saidGinnie.
"Wasn’tinNewYork."
"Oh!Wherewereyou?"
"Me?Ohio."
"Oh,wereyouincollege?"
"Nope.Quit."
"Oh,wereyouintheArmy?"
"Nope."Withhiscigarettehand,Selena’sbrothertappedtheleftsideofhischest."Ticker,"hesaid.
"Yourheart,yamean?"Ginniesaid."What’sthematterwithit?"
"Idon’tknowwhatthehell’sthematterwithit.IhadrheumaticfeverwhenIwasakid.Goddampaininthe—"
"Well,aren’tyousupposedtostopsmoking?Imeanaren’tyousupposedtonotsmokeandall?Thedoctortoldmy—"
"Aah,theytellyaalottastuff,"hesaid.
Ginniebrieflyheldherfire.Verybriefly."WhatwereyoudoinginOhio?"sheasked.
"Me?Workinginagoddamairplanefactory."
"Youwere?"saidGinnie."Didyoulikeit?"
"’Didyoulikeit?’"hemimicked."Ilovedit.Ijustadoreairplanes.They’resocute."
Ginniewasmuchtooinvolvednowtofeelaffronted."Howlongdidyouworkthere?Intheairplanefactory."
"Idon’tknow,forChrissake.Thirty-sevenmonths."Hestoodupandwalkedovertothewindow.Helookeddownatthestreet,scratchinghisspinewithhisthumb."Lookat’em,"hesaid."Goddamfools."
"Who?"saidGinnie.
"Idon’tknow.Anybody."
"Yourfinger’llstartbleedingmoreifyouholditdownthatway,"Ginniesaid.
Heheardher.Heputhisleftfootuponthewindowseatandrestedhisinjuredhandonthehorizontalthigh.Hecontinuedtolookdownatthestreet."They’reallgoin’overtothegoddamdraftboard,"hesaid.
