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The Lunatic Cafe :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 125 из 234"I trusthim."
His first reaction was to say yes, I trust him, but he hadn't thought about it first. "No, Richard, I mean do you trust him not to talk to Jean-Claude or Marcus?"
"I wouldn't tell Marcus anything you didn't want me to," Stephen said.
"And Jean-Claude?" I asked.
Stephen looked uncomfortable, but said, "If he asked a direct question, I'd have to give a direct answer."
"How can you owe more allegiance to the Master of the City than to your own pack leader?"
"I follow Richard, not Marcus."
I glanced at Richard. "A little palace revolt?"
"Raina wanted him in the movies. I stepped in and stopped it."
"Marcus must really hate you," I said.
"He fears me," Richard said.
"Even worse," I said.
Richard didn't say anything. He knew the situation better than I did, even if he wasn't willing to do the ultimate deeds.
"Fine, I'd planned to tell Jean-Claude that you proposed."
"You proposed," Stephen said. His voice held a lilt of surprise. "Did she say yes?"
Richard nodded.
A took of delight swept over Stephen's face. "Way to go," His face fell into sadness. It was like watching wind over a grassy field, everything visible on the surface. "Jean-Claude is going to go ape-shit."
"I couldn't have said it better myself."
"Then why tell him tonight?" Richard asked. "Why not wait? You're not sure about marrying me anymore. Are you?"
"No," I said. I hated saying it, but it was the truth. I loved him already, but if it went much further it would be too late. If I had any doubts I needed to work them out now. Staring into his face, smelling the warm scent of his aftershave, I wished I could have thrown caution to the wind. Falling into his arms. But I couldn't. I just couldn't, not unless I was sure.
"Then why tell him at all? Unless you're planning to elope and didn't tell me, we have some time."
I sighed. I told him why it had to be tonight. "You can't go with me."
"I won't let you go alone," he said.
"Richard, if you are Johnny-on-the-spot when he finds out, he'll try to kill you, and I'll try to kill him to protect you." I shook my head. "If the shit hits the fan, this could end up like Hamlet ."
"How like Hamlet ?" Stephen asked.
"Everybody dead," I said.
"Oh," he said.
"You'd kill Jean-Claude to protect me, even after what you saw last night?"
I stared at him. I tried to read behind his eyeballs to know if there was anybody home I could really talk to.
His first reaction was to say yes, I trust him, but he hadn't thought about it first. "No, Richard, I mean do you trust him not to talk to Jean-Claude or Marcus?"
"I wouldn't tell Marcus anything you didn't want me to," Stephen said.
"And Jean-Claude?" I asked.
Stephen looked uncomfortable, but said, "If he asked a direct question, I'd have to give a direct answer."
"How can you owe more allegiance to the Master of the City than to your own pack leader?"
"I follow Richard, not Marcus."
I glanced at Richard. "A little palace revolt?"
"Raina wanted him in the movies. I stepped in and stopped it."
"Marcus must really hate you," I said.
"He fears me," Richard said.
"Even worse," I said.
Richard didn't say anything. He knew the situation better than I did, even if he wasn't willing to do the ultimate deeds.
"Fine, I'd planned to tell Jean-Claude that you proposed."
"You proposed," Stephen said. His voice held a lilt of surprise. "Did she say yes?"
Richard nodded.
A took of delight swept over Stephen's face. "Way to go," His face fell into sadness. It was like watching wind over a grassy field, everything visible on the surface. "Jean-Claude is going to go ape-shit."
"I couldn't have said it better myself."
"Then why tell him tonight?" Richard asked. "Why not wait? You're not sure about marrying me anymore. Are you?"
"No," I said. I hated saying it, but it was the truth. I loved him already, but if it went much further it would be too late. If I had any doubts I needed to work them out now. Staring into his face, smelling the warm scent of his aftershave, I wished I could have thrown caution to the wind. Falling into his arms. But I couldn't. I just couldn't, not unless I was sure.
"Then why tell him at all? Unless you're planning to elope and didn't tell me, we have some time."
I sighed. I told him why it had to be tonight. "You can't go with me."
"I won't let you go alone," he said.
"Richard, if you are Johnny-on-the-spot when he finds out, he'll try to kill you, and I'll try to kill him to protect you." I shook my head. "If the shit hits the fan, this could end up like Hamlet ."
"How like Hamlet ?" Stephen asked.
"Everybody dead," I said.
"Oh," he said.
"You'd kill Jean-Claude to protect me, even after what you saw last night?"
I stared at him. I tried to read behind his eyeballs to know if there was anybody home I could really talk to.