"Terry Dowling - Clownette" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dowling Terry)

responding, climbing the long dark throats of the old building.

One car signalled its arrival with a soft chime, a sound quickly snatched away by the carpeting. The
doors slid back. I stepped into the plush interior and descended to the lobby, which seemed stark and
overlit after the dim infinite corridor up there.

"Mr. Jackson," Carmen said from behind the reception desk. "Sorry you're having trouble sleeping. This
should help."

She handed me a sleeping pill in its foil wrapping.

"Thanks, Carmen. I'm probably just overstressed. Got a big meeting tomorrow." What was it you said
before? What?

"What time did you want to be woken? Just in case?"

"Good point. Make it 7 A.M., okay?"

"Seven it is. Good night, Mr. Jackson."

"Good night, Carmen. Thanks."

It was easier going back, riding the lift up into the night, reaching the quiet fifth-floor elevator lobby,
finding the hallway its normal self again. It was as if everything had been reset.

Not completely reset, thank goodness. When I swiped my card in the lock and pushed back the door,
there was no Rush of Weird.

But the Motley was back on the wall!

Of course it was, back where it should have been, no doubt had been all along.

No more games. No more tricks. I rehung the Van Gogh print above the bed, moved the television
cabinet back to its original place, reconnected the leads.

"You win this round, Mr. M.," I said, feeling exhausted, beaten, and yet strangely elated by the whole
thing. Collateral damage, I told myself. Waking like this. Being primed. Seeing things.

I probably didn't need the sleeping pill, but when I was back in bed, ready to settle again, I popped it
from its foil and swallowed it just the same. I was asleep in minutes.

And awake again at 3:17. The Motley woke me.

It was leering, shimmering on the wall, having itself a merry time! But glowing! Shining somehow!

Never knew I could be a night light, did you, Mr. J.?

I lurched from bed, leaden, dizzy but driven, and lunged at the wall.

Wrong way! Wrong thing to do, I knew, even as I did it. Should have turned on the light first! Should