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.Also, there's a whole bunch of'em that's taken to campin' up in the hills, thataway." He indicated the north."It's three, four miles out oftown.You can see their lights from the square.""What's it like, the plague?""Ain't never seen a man die of it.But I hear tell he gets real thirsty and then starts to swell, under thearms and around the neck and down there, and then his lungs just fill with his own juices, and he drownshisself.""But there's still some people alive in Boston?""They keep comin'."Tanner chewed his sandwich and thought of the plague."What day is today?""Tuesday."Tanner finished his sandwich and smoked a cigarette while he drank the rest of his beer.Then he looked at the check, and it said, ".85."He tossed a dollar bill on top of it and turned to go.He had taken two steps when the bartender called out, "Wait a minute, mister."He turned around."Yeah?"Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html"What you trying to pull?""What do you mean?""What do you call this crap?""What crap?"The man waved Tanner's dollar at him, and he stepped forward and inspected it."Nothing wrong I can see.What's giving you a pain?""That ain't money.It's nothing.""You trying to tell me my money's no good?""That's what I said.I never seen no bill like that.""Well, look at it real careful.Read that print down there at the bottom of it."The room grew quiet.One man got off his stool and walked forward.He held out his hand and said,"Let me see it, Bill."The bartender passed it to him, and the man's eyes widened."This is drawn on the bank of the nation of California.""Well, that's where I'm from," said Tanner."I'm sorry, it's no good here," said the bartender."It's the best I got," said Tanner."Well, nobody'll make good on it around here.You got any Boston money on you?""Never been to Boston.""Then how the hell'd you get here?""Drove.""Don't hand me a line of crap, son.Where'd you steal this?" It was the older man who had spoken."You going to take my money or ain't you?" said Tanner."I'm not going to take it," said the bartender."Then screw you," said Tanner, and he turned and walked toward the door.As always, under such circumstances, he was alert to sounds at his back.Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlWhen he heard the quick footfall, he turned.It was the man who had inspected the bill that stood beforehim, his right arm extended.Tanner's right hand held his leather jacket, draped over his right shoulder.He swung it with all hisstrength, forward and down.It struck the man on the top of his head, and he fell.There came up a murmuring, and several people jumped to their feet and moved toward him.Tanner dragged the gun from his belt and said, "Sorry, folks," and he pointed it, and they stopped."Now, you probably ain't about to believe me," he said, "when I tell you that Boston's been hit by theplague, but it's true, all right.Or maybe you will, I don't know.But I don't think you're going to believethat I drove here all the way from the nation of California with a car full of Haffikine antiserum.But that'sjust as right.You send that bill to the big bank in Boston, and they'll change it for you, all right, and youknow it.Now, I've got to be going, and don't anybody try to stop me.If you think I've been handing youa line, you take a look at what I drive away in.That's all I've got to say."And he backed out the door and covered it while he mounted the cab.Inside, he gunned the engine tolife, turned, and roared away.In the rearview screen he could see the knot of people on the walk before the bar, watching him depart.He laughed, and the apple-blossom moon hung dead ahead.Evelyn listened.Was she hearing things that weren't really there within the belltones? No.It came again,a knocking on the front door.She moved to the front of the room and looked out through the smallwindow.Then she unbolted the door and flung it wide."Fred!" she said."This."Back up!" he told her."Quick! All the way across the room!""What's wrong?""Do it!"She moved ten paces back, her eyes narrowing."Are your parents home?""No."He stepped inside and closed the door behind him.He was eighteen years old, and his dark hair wasstraight and unruly.His angular jaw was clenched tight, his breathing was rapid, and his eyes drifted fromplace to place.Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html"What's the matter, Fred?""How do you feel?" he asked."I& Oh, no!"He nodded."I think I've got it.I had a fever earlier, and now I've got a chill.My armpits hurt, my throatis sore.No matter how much I drink, I still feel thirsty.That's why I don't want you to get near me."Evelyn raised her hands to her cheeks and stared at him over the bright hedge of her nails."After lastnight;" she said, "I.I haven't been feeling so good, either.""Yeah," he said."I probably killed you last night."Evelyn was seventeen, had reddish hair, and her favorite color was green."How& What can we do?""Nothing," he said."We can go to the clinic, and they can put us to bed and watch us die.""Oh, no! Maybe the serum will come in time.""Ha! I came to say good-bye, that's all.I love you.I'm sorry I gave it to you.Maybe if we hadn't doneit& Oh, I don't know! I'm sorry, Evvie!"She began to cry."Don't go!" she said."I've got to.Maybe you're only catching a cold or something.I hope so.Take some aspirin and go tobed."He rested his hand on the doorknob."Don't go," she said."I've got to [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]