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

"He told me to tell the truth. He told me to admit that you had made it all up about him and me, but that now I really was in contact with him."

Horris's fingers locked in front of him. "Let me get this straight. Skat Mandu told you to confess?"

"He said that the faithful would understand."

"And you believed nun?"

"I had to do what Skat Mandu required of me. I don't expect you to understand, Horris. It was a matter of con-

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Terry Brooks 7

science. Sometimes you've simply got to respond on an emotional level."

"You've short-circuited, Biggar," Horns declared. "You've burnt out all your wiring."

"And you simply don't want to face reality," Biggar snapped. "So save your caustic comments, Horns, for those who need them."

"Skat Mandu was the perfect scam!" Horris screamed the words so 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."

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 whirled about in terror.

There was nothing there.