Читаем Under the Dome полностью

Joe organized the protestors into a big circle that rotates just in front of the Dome, which is marked by a line of dead birds on the Chester's Mill side (those on the Motton side have been removed by the military personnel). The circle gives all of Joe's people—for so he thinks of them—a chance to wave their signs at the posted guards, who stand with their backs resolutely (and maddeningly) turned. Joe also gave out printed 'chant-sheets.' He wrote these with Benny Drake's skateboarding idol, Norrie Calvert. Besides being balls-to-the-wall on her Blitz deck, Norrie's rhymes are simple but tight, yo? One chant goes, Ha-ha-ha! Hee-hee-hee! Chester's Mill must be set free! Another: You did it! You did it! Come on out and just admit it! Joe has—with real reluctance—vetoed another Norrie masterpiece that goes Take off the gags! Take off the gags! Let us talk to the press, you fags!'We have to be politically correct about this,' he told her. What he's wondering just now is if Norrie Calvert is too young to kiss. And if she would slip him any tongue if he did. He has never kissed a girl, but if they're all going to die like starving bugs trapped under a Tupperware bowl, he probably should kiss this one while there's still time.

In the second ring is Pastor Coggins's prayer circle. They are really getting God-sent. And, in a fine show of ecclesiastical detente, the Holy Redeemer choir has been joined by a dozen men and women from the Congo church choir. They're singing 'A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,' and a good number of unaffiliated townsfolk who know the words have joined in. Their voices rise to the blameless blue sky, with Lester's shrill exhortations and the prayer circle's supporting cries of amen and hallelujah weaving in and out of the singing in perfect counterpoint (although not harmony—that would be going too far). The prayer circle keeps growing as other townsfolk drop to their knees and join in, laying their signs temporarily aside so they can raise their clasped hands in supplication.The soldiers have turned their backs; perhaps God has not.

But the center ring of this circus is the biggest and most bodacious. Romeo Burpee pitched the End of Summer Blowout Sale tent well back from the Dome and sixty yards east of the prayer circle, calculating the location by testing the faint gasp of breeze that's blowing. He wants to make sure that the smoke from his rank of Hibachis reaches both those praying and those protesting. His only concession to the afternoon's religious aspect is to make Toby Manning turn off his boombox, which was blaring that James McMurtry song about living in a small town; it didn't: mix well with 'How Great Thou Art' and 'Won't You Come to Jesus.' Business is good and will only get better. Of this Romeo is sure. The hotdogs—thawing even as they cook—may gripe some bellies later, but they smell perfect in the warm afternoon sun; like a county fair instead of chowtime in prison. Kids race around waving pinwheels and threatening to set Dinsniore's grass on fire with leftover Fourth of July sparklers. Empty paper cups that held either citrus-powder drmks (foul) or hastily brewed coffee (fouler still) are littered everywhere. Later on, Romeo will have Toby Manning pay some kid, maybe Dinsmore's, ten bucks to pick up the litter. Community relations, always important. Right now, though, Romeo's totally focused on his jackleg cash register, a carton that once contained Charmin toilet paper. He takes in long green and returns short silver: it's the way America does business, honeybunch. He's charging four bucks per dog, and he's goddamned if people aren't paying it. He expects to clear at least 3K by sundown, maybe a lot more.

And look! Here's Rusty Everett! He got away after all! Good for him! He almost wishes he'd stopped to get the girls—they would surely enjoy this, and it might allay their fears to see so many people having a good time—but it might be a little too much excitement for Jannie.

He spots Linda at the same time she spots him and starts waving frantically, practically jumping up and down. With her hair done in the stubby Fearless Police Girl braids she almost always wears when she's working, Lin looks like a junior high school cheerleader. She's standing with Twitch's sister Rose and the young man who short-orders at the restaurant. Rusty s a little surprised; he thought Barbara had left town. Got on Big Jim Rennie's bad side. A bar fight is what Rusty heard, although he wasn't on duty when the participants came in to get patched up. Fine by Rusty. He's patched up his share of Dipper's customers.

He hugs his wife, kisses her mouth, then plants a kiss on Rose's cheek. Shakes hands with the cook, and gets reintroduced.

'Look at those hotdogs,' Rusty mourns. 'Oh dear.'

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Звездная месть
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Лихим 90-м посвящается...Фантастический роман-эпопея в пяти томах «Звёздная месть» (1990—1995), написанный в жанре «патриотической фантастики» — грандиозное эпическое полотно (полный текст 2500 страниц, общий тираж — свыше 10 миллионов экземпляров). События разворачиваются в ХХV-ХХХ веках будущего. Вместе с апогеем развития цивилизации наступает апогей её вырождения. Могущество Земной Цивилизации неизмеримо. Степень её духовной деградации ещё выше. Сверхкрутой сюжет, нетрадиционные повороты событий, десятки измерений, сотни пространств, три Вселенные, всепланетные и всепространственные войны. Герой романа, космодесантник, прошедший через все круги ада, после мучительных размышлений приходит к выводу – для спасения цивилизации необходимо свержение правящего на Земле режима. Он свергает его, захватывает власть во всей Звездной Федерации. А когда приходит победа в нашу Вселенную вторгаются полчища из иных миров (правители Земной Федерации готовили их вторжение). По необычности сюжета (фактически запретного для других авторов), накалу страстей, фантазии, философичности и психологизму "Звёздная Месть" не имеет ничего равного в отечественной и мировой литературе. Роман-эпопея состоит из пяти самостоятельных романов: "Ангел Возмездия", "Бунт Вурдалаков" ("вурдалаки" – биохимеры, которыми земляне населили "закрытые" миры), "Погружение во Мрак", "Вторжение из Ада" ("ад" – Иная Вселенная), "Меч Вседержителя". Также представлены популярные в среде читателей романы «Бойня» и «Сатанинское зелье».

Юрий Дмитриевич Петухов

Фантастика / Боевая фантастика / Научная Фантастика / Ужасы / Ужасы и мистика