— My, my! — проскрипело привидение, в упор уставившись на Дуэйна и изобразив шутовское удивление при помощи широко расставленных рук и вихляющей задницы. — How dah I know dis cat! Whassup, my nigga>[7]?
— God almighty!.. Nah, you can't be my daddy, he's fucking dead! — Дуэйн изо всей силы потёр рукой затылок, ошарашенно озираясь. — Who are you? What the fuck do you want from me?
— Nahtin», just wanna talk to ya… Somebo'ey aks me to come here and have a little chit-chat wid ya. Dah ya mahnd? — резкие морщины собрались вопросительной кучкой на высушеном как тарань негритянском лице, обсыпанном старческой гречкой и поросшем ослепительно белой на фоне чёрной кожи, длинной неровной щетиной.
— Who the hell are you?
— Hello, Punkin! — ухмыльнулось привидение. — Who da ya tink I eez? Dah anybody eise ever call ya dis li'l name?
— Holy shit! Daddy? — голос Дуэйна на мгновение пересёкся. — You're supposed to be dead and lie quietly in your grave! And look at ya, waking and talking! No, you're not my father! Who the fuck are you really?
— Cool down, Punkin! Whah don't ya aks me where from I eez?
— Okay then! Tell me, where the hell are you from?
— I eez from LA, my nigga. Ya gotta rememba who ya do and weah ya put dam!
— Oops! My daddy lived in Pensacola, Florida, all his fucking miserable life. That's where I shot him in the head and buried him after he raped my little sister.
— Gotcha, nigga! — привидение радостно захлопало костлявыми ладонями и беззубо осклабилось. Dat' right, Punkin! I eez from Pensacola. You shot me an' buried me in Pensacola an' go ta prison for killin' ye daddy and rapin' ye sista. But Pensacola ain' t Florida. It's LA! Lower Alabama!
— Lower Alabama my ass! You fuckin' ruined Adelle's life! You ruined my life, too!
— Nah, Punkin. I save Adelle life an' ev'rybo'ee life in dis fam'ly. Ya rememba ten grand I owe Fat Bubba for dat dope? Ah, well… Fat Bubba eez a very dangerous nigga. He did not want dat dope back, he want da money, ah' teya! He put a gun to mah head an' say he do Adelle or he shoot ev' ryone in da house. He tei me hold Adelle wen he do her. He do Adelle and den he gone. Then ye come and see me hold Adelle covered wid blood. You tink dat I do her and you shoot me in da face. An' dat's cool wid me, Punkin, cuz wen I dead I owe Fat Bubba nahtin».
— I know, daddy. I got a message thru the prison wire about Fat Bubba and what he did. The fucking nigger was bragging about Adelle everywhere! The next day after I got released from Pontiac and arrived to Pensacola I found Fat Bubba and had a little chi-chat with him in Redoubt Bayou. We talked for a couple of minutes and then I left and he remained in the woods, hanging on a live oak. And still, daddy, you was holding our little Adelle when this bastard was raping her.