Грань будущего
Chapter 3
Ifshe’dbeenasamurai,shecouldhavereadeveryflashofKojiroSasaki’skatana.Evenwhenshewaseating,theFullMetalBitchwastheFullMetalBitch.
Today,likeeveryday,shewastryingtoeatanumeboshipickledplum.Shemusthaveconfuseditforanordinarypieceofdriedfruit.Aftertwoorthreeattemptstopickitupwithherchopsticks,sheputthewholethinginhermouth.
Downthehatch.
Ritadoubledoverasthoughshe’dtakena57mmroundrightinthegut.Herbacktwitched.Herrust-coloredhairlookedlikeitwasabouttostandonend.Butshedidn’tcoughitbackup.Toughasnails.Shehadswallowedthewholething,pitandall.Ritagulpeddownaglassofwaterwithavengeance.
Shemusthavebeenatleasttwenty-twoyearsold,butyou’dneverguessitwatchingher.Thesand-coloredmilitaryuniformsdidn’tflatterher,butifyoudressedherupinoneofthosefrillynumbersthegirlsintownwerewearing,she’dbeprettycute.AtleastIlikedtoimagineso.
What’swrongwiththisfood?Ittasteslikepaper.
"Youenjoyin’yourself?"Thevoicecamefromabovemyhead.
Holdingmychopstickswithoutmovingamuscle,Ilookedoutthecornerofmyeye.Aprehistoricfacelookeddownatmefrombeneathaflattophaircutthatleveledoffabouttwometersabovesealevel.Hisfeaturesweremoredinosaurthanhuman.Definitelysomevelociraptorlurkinginthatfamilytree.MyspiritsfellwhenIsawthetattooonhisshoulder:awolfwearingacrown.Hewasfromthe4th,thecompanyholdingagrudgeagainstusoverthatrugbygame.
