"Cook, Glen - Garrett 07 - Deadly Quicksilver Liesuc" - читать интересную книгу автора (Cook Glen)

I told the redhead, "An exercise in futility. All
sound and fury. Been going on all month. Nobody's
gotten hurt yet. Probably all die of shame if anybody
did." Gnomes are that way. Gladly make fortunes fi-
nancing wars but don't want to watch the bloodshed.

I spied a sedan chair at streetside down toward Ma-
cunado's intersection with Wizard's Reach. Beside it
stood something half man and half gorilla with hands
that fit the prescription for whatever it was that had
tried to demolish my door. "That thing tame?"

"Mugwump? He's a sweetheart. And as human as
you are." The redhead's tone suggested she might be,
unwittingly, insulting friend Mugwump.

"Can I help you?" Boy, would I like to help her.
Mugwump was old news.

I make a point of being nice to redheads, at least
till they're not nice to me. Redhead was always my
favorite color, barely edging blonde and brunette.

The woman turned to me. "Mr. Garrett?" Her voice
was low, husky, sexy.

I didn't owe any money. "Guilty." Surprise, sur-
prise. She was a good decade older than my first guess.
But time had stolen nothing. She was proof on the
hoof that aging produces fine wines. Second-guessing,

DEADLY QUICKSILVER LIES

15

I put her over thirty-five but under forty. Me, I'm a
tender, innocent thirty and don't usually look for them
quite so ripe.

"You're staring, Mr. Garrett. I thought that was
impolite."

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. Excuse me."

The Goddamn Parrot started muttering in his sleep.
Something about interspecies necrophilia. That got me
back to the real world. "What can I do for you,
madam?" Other than the obvious, if you're looking
for volunteers. Hoo.