"Doc Savage Adventure 1945-03 The Ten Ton Snakes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Doc Savage Collection)

"This cable was funny. It said for me to go see a man named Sir Roger Powell, who would be at the Westland. It said for me to ask Powell about the heavy stuff. I was to ask Powell what the situation was on the heavy stuff. It said, - the cable said - to try to form a judgment about Powell. Well, I did an - "

"What," Renny interrupted, "did the cable mean by asking you to form a judgment?"

"Decide about Powell."

"Decide what?"

"Whether he was a crook or not, I guess."

"What is the heavy stuff?"

"That's all the cable said - heavy stuff."

"You mean it just said to ask about the heavy stuff, and that was all the description it gave?"

"Yes."

"And from that, what did you gather the heavy stuff was?"

"I couldn't figure it out."

"What's your guess?"

"I haven't got any guess."

"Then you have no idea what the heavy stuff could be?"

"None," the soldier said. "I told you this thing had goofy aspects. That's one of them."

"Mind letting me see this cablegram?"

"I'd be glad to show it to you, only I haven't got it."

"What became of it?"

"I destroyed it."

"Why?"

"Habit. I have the habit of destroying all the letters and telegrams I receive when they're not something I have to keep. I've done that for years, I guess."

"What did you do after you got the cablegram from your brother?" Renny asked, settling back to listen again.

Bob French seemed to require a moment to get his mind back on the telling of his story. Then he said, "I went to see Sir Roger Powell. I found him at the hotel, as Tucker's cablegram had said I would. I sent my name up to his room, and he returned word for me to come right up.

"Well, that name of Sir Roger Powell had sure fooled me," the soldier continued. "I expected an old geezer with a monocle and a white goatee. Sir Roger Powell wasn't anything like that. He could have been an insurance agent in Kansas City, for all you could tell."

"Is he a genuine title?" Renny asked.