"Elrod, P N - I, Strahd 2 - War Against Azalin e-txt" - читать интересную книгу автора (Elrod P N)

the day and look it over? I'll bring it back first thing in the morning. I can
promise you right now that I want to buy it, I just don't have the coin with
me."
Now this was very atypical behavior even for the quietly eccentric doctor. "It's
not that I don't trust you, sir, but I can hardly allow you to take it from the
shop. It was left with me in good faith, and until I buy it from that man I can
hardly sell it to you."
"Oh, yes, of course," he said, his initial excitement visibly dampened.
"Besides, I have to look it over to set a fair price on itЕ" but she could see
he wasn't really listening. "Doctor?"
"Perhaps you'll allow me to read it here, then?"
"Here? The whole thing?"
"I should be very quiet."
"I don't doubt it, but why are you in such a hurry?"
He gave her his self-depreciating shrug again. "Call it the passion of a
collector, madam."
She didn't believe that one, but was willing to let him get away with it. "Well,
the truth be told, I want to have a read of it as well, and you seem to have a
better command of the old language than I do. What if I closed the shop up for
the rest of the day and you read this book to me? That way we both get what we
want."
"I have serious reservations that you would want to hear what is in this tome.
It could give you more nightmares."
"In which case I shall avail myself of some of your herbal teas," she smoothly
returned.
"You'll lose the afternoon's business," he stated, sounding hopeful.
"It's always slow during this day of the week. I'll likely lose nothing. I'm
determined to know what is in this mystery volume."
Van Richten finally sighed and nodded. "Very well, but afterwards please refrain
from telling me that you weren't warned."
"Warned against what? A few nightmares? I think I can survive them. Now if you
would be so kind as to move those two chairs to the table over there, I'll lock
up so we won't be disturbed."
Van Richten obliged her request while she took a brass key from her apron pocket
and secured the shop door. She then closed the curtains and bustled into the
rear of the premises for a moment, returning more slowly. She carried a large,
beautifully carved crystal lamp and gently placed it in the center of the table.
"My dear departed mother's prized possession," she explained, when Van Richten
offered a compliment on it. "One cannot be too careful in this neighborhood, so
I always keep it in the back. It gives a very good bright light, though, some
trick of the way the crystal was fashioned."
"Excellent," he said. "If this book is indeed about grim topics, then it is not
one to be read amongst the shadows."
Mrs. Heywood paused as she worked to coax a flame from her tinderbox. She didn't
like his ominous tone, but refused to let herself be discouraged. She got the
lamp lit, adjusted the height of the flame, and sat next to him. "What sort of
grim topics?"
"There's but one way to find out," he said, and turned to the first page.
PART I
THE LORD Of BAROVIA