Девять рассказов
Just Before the War with the Eskimos
"We’regonnafighttheEskimosnext.Knowthat?"
"Thewho?"saidGinnie.
"TheEskimos....Openyourears,forChrissake."
"WhytheEskimos?"
"Idon’tknowwhy.HowthehellshouldIknowwhy?Thistimealltheoldguys’regonnago.Guysaroundsixty.Nobodycangounlessthey’rearoundsixty,"hesaid."Justgive’emshorterhoursisall....Bigdeal."
"Youwouldn’thavetogo,anyway,"Ginniesaid,withoutmeaninganythingbutthetruth,yetknowingbeforethestatementwascompletelyoutthatshewassayingthewrongthing.
"Iknow,"hesaidquickly,andtookhisfootdownfromthewindowseat.Heraisedthewindowslightlyandsnappedhiscigarettestreetward.Thenheturned,finishedatthewindow."Hey.Domeafavor.Whenthisguycomes,willyatellhimI’llbereadyinacouplaseconds?Ijustgottashaveisall.O.K.?"
Ginnienodded.
"YawantmetohurrySelenauporanything?Sheknowyou’rehere?"
"Oh,sheknowsI’mhere,"Ginniesaid."I’minnohurry.Thankyou."
Selena’sbrothernodded.Thenhetookalast,longlookathisinjuredfinger,asiftoseewhetheritwasinconditiontomakethetripbacktohisroom.
"Whydon’tyouputaBand-Aidonit?Don’tyouhaveanyBand-Aidoranything?"
"Naa,"hesaid."Well.Takeiteasy."Hewanderedoutoftheroom.
Inafewseconds,hewasback,bringingthesandwichhalf.
"Eatthis,"hesaid."It’sgood."
"Really,I’mnotatall—"
"Takeit,forChrissake.Ididn’tpoisonitoranything."
Ginnieacceptedthesandwichhalf."Well,thankyouverymuch,"shesaid.
