"Brooks, Terry - Landover 04 - The Tangle Box" - читать интересную книгу автора (Brooks Terry)

loudly that Biggar jumped in spite of himself. "Look around you,
you idiot! We landed in a world where people are convinced they've
lost control of their lives, where there's so much happening that
it's overwhelming, where beliefs are the hardest things to come by
and money's the easiest! It's a world tailor-made for someone like
us, just packed full of opportunities to get rich, to live well, to
have everything we ever wanted and a few we didn't! All we had to
do was keep the illusion of Skat Mandu alive. And that meant
keeping the faithful convinced that the illusion was real! How many
followers do we have, Biggar? Excuse me, how many did we have?
Several hundred thousand, at least? Scattered all over the world,
but making regular pilgrimages to visit the retreat, to listen to a
few precious words of wisdom, to pay good money for the
experience?"
He took a deep breath. "Did you think for one minute that telling
these people that we tricked them into giving money to hear what a
bird would tell themЧnever mind who the bird said he was getting
the words fromЧwould be something they would be quick to forgive?
Did you imagine that they would say, 'Oh, that's all right, Biggar,
we understand,' and go back to wherever they came from in the first
place? What a joke! Skat Mandu must be laughing pretty hard just
about now, don't you think?"
Biggar shook his white-crested head. "He is displeased at the lack
of respect he is being accorded, is what he is."
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Brooks, Terry - MKL#4 - The Tangle Box
8 THE TANGLE BOX
Horris's mouth tightened. "Please tell him for me, Biggar, that I
could care less!"
"Why don't you tell him yourself, Horris?"
"What?"
Biggar had a wicked gleam in his eye. 'Tell him yourself. He's
standing right behind you."
Horris sniggered. "You've lost your mind, Biggar. You really have."
"Is that so? Is that a fact?" Biggar puffed out his chest. "Then
have a look, Horris. Go on, have a look."
Horris felt a chill climb up his spine. Biggar sounded awfully sure
of himself. The big house suddenly felt much larger than it really
was, and the silence that settled into it was immense. The riotous
cries of the approaching mob disappeared as if swallowed whole. It
seemed to Horris that he could sense a dark presence lifting out of
the ether behind him, a shadowy form that coalesced and then
whispered with sullen insistence, Turn around, Horris, turn around!
Horris took a deep breath in an effort to stop shaking. He had the
sinking feeling that somehow, once again, things were getting out
of control. He shook his head stubbornly. "I won't look," he
snappedЧand then added maliciously, "you stupid birdP'
Biggar cocked his head. "He's reeeeeaching for you," the myna
hissed.
Something feather-light brushed Horris Kew's shoulder, and he