"Terry Dowling - La Profonde" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dowling Terry)

тАЬIf you take off those sunglasses you might.тАЭ

Derwent did so, putting them in his shirt pocket. He squinted in the
glare again. тАЬFine. Just say when.тАЭ

They walked without speaking for a while, following the lines as they
began to curve through another cutting. The breeze followed them. Dry
grass rustled on the embankments.

The quiet was too much for Derwent. тАЬSo weтАЩre just walking through
these things right now?тАЭ he said.

тАЬNot right here,тАЭ Jay told him. тАЬBut the one we want is very close. ItтАЩs
usually - No, there it is! Get ready, Dee. ItтАЩs not even fifteen yards away,
exactly in front of us. Describe what you see!тАЭ

тАЬWhat I see! I canтАЩt see anything!тАЭ

тАЬWeтАЩre heading right for it. Ten yards now, right in front. Try looking
from the side. Turn your head a little.тАЭ

Derwent did so. тАЬIs it still there?тАЭ

тАЬRight there. Two yards now. Opening and closing along its seeking
edge. ItтАЩs got quite a rhythm going.тАЭ Jay steadied himself on the stones
underfoot.
 тАЬI canтАЩt see anything, Jay. WhatтАЩs it like exactly? How big is it?тАЭ

тАЬBoth big and small. ThatтАЩs why itтАЩs called that. A profonde is a word
that conjurers use.тАЭ

тАЬConjurers? Do they?тАЭ Derwent was peering into the emptiness
ahead.

тАЬItтАЩs what magicians call the long pockets in the tails of their coats.
The ones they use for making things disappear.тАЭ

тАЬOkay, so how -тАЭ

It was all he managed because Jay had pushed him hard from
behind. There was a single yell, more like a squawk that ended almost as it
began, and it was done. There was just the heat shimmer above the tracks,
the sound of the breeze rushing in the dry grass.

Jay glanced at his watch, then stepped around the hot-spot in case it
was still active, and continued walking. Another hundred yards and he
rounded the final curve of the tracks and saw the small Greenwood platform
in the bright afternoon light. And there was Cally, exactly on time.