[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.’’‘‘A hundred.You.stupid.American!’’ Vadim’s youth showed in his stammered astonishment.‘‘I’m not paying that!’’‘‘Then I’ll put it up for auction.Someone will pay it.’’‘‘You.you.Whether you find the icon or not, I am going to kill you!’’ Now Doug could hear his accent, loud and clear.‘‘Ooh.I’m trembling,’’ Doug mocked.‘‘You dare!’’‘‘I dare one hell of a lot.’’ With a great deal of satisfaction, Doug hung up.There.He had gotten information, distracted and infuriated Vadim, and convinced him that Firebird was dead.Now all he had to do was wait for the phone call he knew would come.Opening the drawer in his desk, he looked down at the coil of seaweed inside—the coil that had trapped Firebird beneath the ocean, the coil she had worn like a necklace around her neck.He grabbed the main stem.With great care, he lifted the kelp.He stared at the small, square white tile tangled in fronds—and the dark-eyed Virgin Mary stared reproachfully back.Vadim didn’t yet realize it, but Doug held all the trumps.Chapter Twenty-sixAdrik came through the kitchen door as Zorana pulled two loaves of sour bread from the oven.Her sons always had a way of arriving as the work was done and the eating would begin.Taking off his coat, he shook off the raindrops, hung it on the hook, then kissed her on the cheek.‘‘Mama, that bread smells great.’’ He kissed his wife next, a longer kiss placed on Karen’s mouth, followed by a hum of delight.‘‘You’re damp.’’ She smoothed his dark hair away from his face.‘‘That’s quite a storm.’’ Seating himself at the long wooden table with the other men, he looked seriously at Konstantine, at Karen’s father, at Jasha and Rurik.When he spoke, he didn’t bother to include the women.‘‘But nothing’s been harmed.Everything’s still in place, ready to wipe the Varinskis’ asses.’’‘‘We need more,’’ Konstantine said.‘‘We’ll do as much as we can, Papa.We just don’t know how much time we have.’’ Jasha had a list in front of him and a pen in his hand.‘‘As it is right now, we’re going to make more than a few of them sorry they ever thought to try to kill a Wilder.’’‘‘There are a lot of strangers in the woods these days,’’ Adrik said.Zorana shook the loaves out of their pans and placed them on the cooling racks.Jasha leaped up, grabbed one, and seated himself again.‘‘They’re not campers, either.’’‘‘It’s too cold for that.’’ Jackson Sonnet was short and bluff, a sportsman, an outdoorsman, and a hotelier with a sharp sense of what people would and would not do for fun.According to him, camping in the winter was not a popular activity.Rurik got up and got the butter out of the refrigerator.‘‘Pass me a piece of bread.’’‘‘Hey, Mama made that for me!’’ Adrik said.‘‘She’s done welcoming you home, you big oaf.’’ Jasha tore the loaf, releasing a burst of steam and revealing the pale, textured interior.‘‘She’s as sick of you as the rest of us are.’’Adrik smacked him on the back of the head.Jasha smacked back, and lost the loaf to Rurik’s swift sneak attack.‘‘Hey!’’Rurik grimaced as the brown crust burned his hand.He tossed the loaf from side to side as he tore it into smaller pieces.Placing one on a plate, he handed the rest to his father.‘‘So, Papa, the Varinskis have begun to gather for battle.But there are others, too, men who watch us—and them.’’‘‘Maybe the Varinskis have servants.’’ Konstantine sat in his wheelchair, his oxygen tank hooked to the back.Occasionally he put the mask to his face and took a long breath.He might be weak, but he was in his element.‘‘Or figured you were so helpless they could hire someone to wipe you out,’’ Jackson said.The Wilder men exchanged incredulous glances, and unanimously declared, ‘‘Naw.’’‘‘If you say so.’’ Jackson took some bread, slathered it with butter, bit into it, and, with his mouth open, said, ‘‘Great, Zorana.Really great.’’The women—Zorana, Ann, Tasya, and Karen— leaned against the kitchen wall, watching the men as the loaf disappeared at record speed.‘‘It’s like feeding wild animals,’’ Ann murmured to the other women.‘‘We throw in the food.They snarl at one another, rip it apart, snarf it down, and go back to their plans.’’‘‘Not that Rurik’s ever really been domesticated, but I’ve never seen him act so much like a caveman.’’ Tasya made her voice deep and menacing.‘‘ ‘Fix me some food.Give me some sex.And for God’s sake, woman, whatever you do, don’t talk.’ ’’Zorana considered her beloved grandson, seated in his high chair beside Konstantine, gnawing on a crust and chattering away with his uncles and grandfather.‘‘Aleksandr is just like them.’’‘‘Firebird left at exactly the right time.’’ Tasya grasped Zorana’s arm.‘‘I didn’t mean to worry you.’’‘‘It’s all right.She’s a smart girl.I know she’s safe.’’ Zorana had to believe that was true.‘‘But you’re right.She won’t be sorry she missed this.I tell you, it’s genetic.They’re having the time of their lives.Listen to them.’’‘‘There are always bikers and trekkers in the woods,’’ Rurik said.‘‘So land mines are out.’’‘‘No good explosions.’’ Adrik shook his head in sorrow.‘‘The old-fashioned way will work.Traps.Surprises.You’ll see.They won’t know what hit them.’’ Konstantine grinned like a boy who had been given a present.‘‘You guys have come up with good ideas.I’m not saying you haven’t, and I know the Varinskis can’t be killed except by another demon, but what you need is more good weaponry.’’ Jackson leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with excitement and pleasure.Karen’s father was not like Konstantine or her sons; Jackson did not seem to hold women in esteem, he did not like Aleksandr or apparently any children, he shied from Zorana’s displays of affection, and his greatest loves were hunting, fishing, and camping.Yet he had shown his true mettle when he had fought a team of marauding Varinskis for his daughter’s life.He was a man’s man, a human Varinski, as it were, useless in family situations, but good to have at your back, and Zorana was grateful to have him.‘‘Enough shots from an M16 rifle will take a leg off, and a one-legged Varinski would find it hard to chase down even you, Konstantine.I’ve got the money and the contacts to get weapons fast.’’‘‘All right.Some firepower would be helpful.But I will not wait for you to return to start the battle,’’ Konstantine said.‘‘Trust me, Konstantine.’’ Jackson rested his hand on Konstantine’s shoulder.‘‘I’ll leave later today, and I’ll be back before it’s over.I wouldn’t miss this battle for the world!’’‘‘How can you talk about war with such delight?’’ Ann was the most engaging of the Wilder daughters-in-law, one of the kindest people Zorana had ever met, and she was frankly concerned about this display of male ferocity.The men exchanged confused glances.‘‘We didn’t seek this fight, but as long as it’s inevitable, we might as well enjoy it,’’ Jackson said.Tasya grasped Zorana’s arm and shook it.‘‘He’s not even one of the family, and he thinks like them.’’Still Ann struggled to bring the men to their senses.‘‘What about afterward? There’s a very real possibility that some of us—some of you—will die, leaving the ones who remain behind to grieve.’’‘‘That’s what happens in war,’’ Konstantine said simply.‘‘When it’s over, we’ll all have to try to pick up the pieces of our lives [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.’’‘‘A hundred.You.stupid.American!’’ Vadim’s youth showed in his stammered astonishment.‘‘I’m not paying that!’’‘‘Then I’ll put it up for auction.Someone will pay it.’’‘‘You.you.Whether you find the icon or not, I am going to kill you!’’ Now Doug could hear his accent, loud and clear.‘‘Ooh.I’m trembling,’’ Doug mocked.‘‘You dare!’’‘‘I dare one hell of a lot.’’ With a great deal of satisfaction, Doug hung up.There.He had gotten information, distracted and infuriated Vadim, and convinced him that Firebird was dead.Now all he had to do was wait for the phone call he knew would come.Opening the drawer in his desk, he looked down at the coil of seaweed inside—the coil that had trapped Firebird beneath the ocean, the coil she had worn like a necklace around her neck.He grabbed the main stem.With great care, he lifted the kelp.He stared at the small, square white tile tangled in fronds—and the dark-eyed Virgin Mary stared reproachfully back.Vadim didn’t yet realize it, but Doug held all the trumps.Chapter Twenty-sixAdrik came through the kitchen door as Zorana pulled two loaves of sour bread from the oven.Her sons always had a way of arriving as the work was done and the eating would begin.Taking off his coat, he shook off the raindrops, hung it on the hook, then kissed her on the cheek.‘‘Mama, that bread smells great.’’ He kissed his wife next, a longer kiss placed on Karen’s mouth, followed by a hum of delight.‘‘You’re damp.’’ She smoothed his dark hair away from his face.‘‘That’s quite a storm.’’ Seating himself at the long wooden table with the other men, he looked seriously at Konstantine, at Karen’s father, at Jasha and Rurik.When he spoke, he didn’t bother to include the women.‘‘But nothing’s been harmed.Everything’s still in place, ready to wipe the Varinskis’ asses.’’‘‘We need more,’’ Konstantine said.‘‘We’ll do as much as we can, Papa.We just don’t know how much time we have.’’ Jasha had a list in front of him and a pen in his hand.‘‘As it is right now, we’re going to make more than a few of them sorry they ever thought to try to kill a Wilder.’’‘‘There are a lot of strangers in the woods these days,’’ Adrik said.Zorana shook the loaves out of their pans and placed them on the cooling racks.Jasha leaped up, grabbed one, and seated himself again.‘‘They’re not campers, either.’’‘‘It’s too cold for that.’’ Jackson Sonnet was short and bluff, a sportsman, an outdoorsman, and a hotelier with a sharp sense of what people would and would not do for fun.According to him, camping in the winter was not a popular activity.Rurik got up and got the butter out of the refrigerator.‘‘Pass me a piece of bread.’’‘‘Hey, Mama made that for me!’’ Adrik said.‘‘She’s done welcoming you home, you big oaf.’’ Jasha tore the loaf, releasing a burst of steam and revealing the pale, textured interior.‘‘She’s as sick of you as the rest of us are.’’Adrik smacked him on the back of the head.Jasha smacked back, and lost the loaf to Rurik’s swift sneak attack.‘‘Hey!’’Rurik grimaced as the brown crust burned his hand.He tossed the loaf from side to side as he tore it into smaller pieces.Placing one on a plate, he handed the rest to his father.‘‘So, Papa, the Varinskis have begun to gather for battle.But there are others, too, men who watch us—and them.’’‘‘Maybe the Varinskis have servants.’’ Konstantine sat in his wheelchair, his oxygen tank hooked to the back.Occasionally he put the mask to his face and took a long breath.He might be weak, but he was in his element.‘‘Or figured you were so helpless they could hire someone to wipe you out,’’ Jackson said.The Wilder men exchanged incredulous glances, and unanimously declared, ‘‘Naw.’’‘‘If you say so.’’ Jackson took some bread, slathered it with butter, bit into it, and, with his mouth open, said, ‘‘Great, Zorana.Really great.’’The women—Zorana, Ann, Tasya, and Karen— leaned against the kitchen wall, watching the men as the loaf disappeared at record speed.‘‘It’s like feeding wild animals,’’ Ann murmured to the other women.‘‘We throw in the food.They snarl at one another, rip it apart, snarf it down, and go back to their plans.’’‘‘Not that Rurik’s ever really been domesticated, but I’ve never seen him act so much like a caveman.’’ Tasya made her voice deep and menacing.‘‘ ‘Fix me some food.Give me some sex.And for God’s sake, woman, whatever you do, don’t talk.’ ’’Zorana considered her beloved grandson, seated in his high chair beside Konstantine, gnawing on a crust and chattering away with his uncles and grandfather.‘‘Aleksandr is just like them.’’‘‘Firebird left at exactly the right time.’’ Tasya grasped Zorana’s arm.‘‘I didn’t mean to worry you.’’‘‘It’s all right.She’s a smart girl.I know she’s safe.’’ Zorana had to believe that was true.‘‘But you’re right.She won’t be sorry she missed this.I tell you, it’s genetic.They’re having the time of their lives.Listen to them.’’‘‘There are always bikers and trekkers in the woods,’’ Rurik said.‘‘So land mines are out.’’‘‘No good explosions.’’ Adrik shook his head in sorrow.‘‘The old-fashioned way will work.Traps.Surprises.You’ll see.They won’t know what hit them.’’ Konstantine grinned like a boy who had been given a present.‘‘You guys have come up with good ideas.I’m not saying you haven’t, and I know the Varinskis can’t be killed except by another demon, but what you need is more good weaponry.’’ Jackson leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with excitement and pleasure.Karen’s father was not like Konstantine or her sons; Jackson did not seem to hold women in esteem, he did not like Aleksandr or apparently any children, he shied from Zorana’s displays of affection, and his greatest loves were hunting, fishing, and camping.Yet he had shown his true mettle when he had fought a team of marauding Varinskis for his daughter’s life.He was a man’s man, a human Varinski, as it were, useless in family situations, but good to have at your back, and Zorana was grateful to have him.‘‘Enough shots from an M16 rifle will take a leg off, and a one-legged Varinski would find it hard to chase down even you, Konstantine.I’ve got the money and the contacts to get weapons fast.’’‘‘All right.Some firepower would be helpful.But I will not wait for you to return to start the battle,’’ Konstantine said.‘‘Trust me, Konstantine.’’ Jackson rested his hand on Konstantine’s shoulder.‘‘I’ll leave later today, and I’ll be back before it’s over.I wouldn’t miss this battle for the world!’’‘‘How can you talk about war with such delight?’’ Ann was the most engaging of the Wilder daughters-in-law, one of the kindest people Zorana had ever met, and she was frankly concerned about this display of male ferocity.The men exchanged confused glances.‘‘We didn’t seek this fight, but as long as it’s inevitable, we might as well enjoy it,’’ Jackson said.Tasya grasped Zorana’s arm and shook it.‘‘He’s not even one of the family, and he thinks like them.’’Still Ann struggled to bring the men to their senses.‘‘What about afterward? There’s a very real possibility that some of us—some of you—will die, leaving the ones who remain behind to grieve.’’‘‘That’s what happens in war,’’ Konstantine said simply.‘‘When it’s over, we’ll all have to try to pick up the pieces of our lives [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]