"Esther M. Friesner - At These Prices" - читать интересную книгу автора (Friesner Esther M)

Radiating suspicion, Bella frowned at the two women in their cheap cotton
dresses, the two men in their white, short-sleeved shirts and plain black trousers.
тАЬWhat do you want?тАЭ she demanded.
тАЬBixby, maтАЩam.тАЭ The reply came in four-part harmony, as if it were the most
natural request in the world.
 тАЬBixтАФI donтАЩt know what youтАЩre talking about,тАЭ Bella said quickly.
тАЬThe hell you donтАЩt!тАЭ the smaller woman snapped.
тАЬSelina, such language!тАЭ The other female clapped her hands to her ears.
тАЬAhhh, get over it, Mel,тАЭ Selina replied. тАЬWe didnтАЩt come here to play
pattycake with this brownie-stealing bimbo.тАЭ She scowled at Bella. тАЬWe watched the
hotel surveillance tapes so we know he left with you. Cough тАШim up, Toots!тАЭ
тАЬSorry, not interested, got all the crazy I need, тАШbye now.тАЭ Bella shut the door
swiftly, only to be thwarted by a size 14-EEEE foot wedged between the panel and
the jamb. Naturally enough, it belonged to the bigger of the two men. She gave him
an icy look. тАЬAll right, what are you?тАЭ
The shorter man stepped forward. тАЬGood day to you, maтАЩam. My name is
Berry, and these are my friends and associates, Tom, Selina, and Melusine.тАЭ
тАЬI didnтАЩt ask who you were,тАЭ Bella replied tartly. тАЬI asked what. I know all
about the special staffing arrangements at Tiernan House hotels.тАЭ
тАЬDo you, now.тАЭ BerryтАЩs pleasant smile turned sour. тАЬMaтАЩam, weтАЩd be happy
to remove our glamours. WeтАЩre not ashamed of our natural forms. However, your
neighbors might not react well to seeing us as we are. May we come in? Merely to
talk, I assure you. WeтАЩll do you no harm. You have my oath as an engineer.тАЭ Berry
snapped his fingers and an ancient slide-rule appeared in his hand. He kissed it
reverently before banishing it to realms invisible.
тАЬJust a second.тАЭ Bella ducked back inside her apartment for a moment.
тАЬSwear on this and IтАЩll believe you.тАЭ She held out a small electric coffee bean
grinder.
The four exchanged a look of wide-eyed apprehension. In a faltering voice,
Melusine asked, тАЬHow did you know about the bless├йdтАФthe bless├йdтАФ?тАЭ
тАЬThe bless├йd Mill?тАЭ Bella chuckled. тАЬIтАЩm a fast learner and BixbyтАЩs a good
teacher. Swear on it, or stay in the hall.тАЭ
The larger man scowled. тАЬCanтАЩt say as I favor yer attitude,тАЭ he said. тАЬLike my
old Dad used to say tтАЩ me, heтАЩd say, тАШTom, seeing as how weтАЩre trolls, Bad
AttitudeтАЩs kinda Standard Optivating Proceed-thingie for us. But thatтАЩs no reason
you got to take it from a dab oтАЩ mortal meat you can smash into paste тАШthout a
second thought, mostly cause us trolls got enough trouble layinтАЩ hands on a first
thought.тАЩ Good olтАЩ Dad!тАЭ
With that, Tom dropped the glamour upon him and stood revealed in all his
monstrous glory. His street clothes vanished. Every hulking muscle, wart, and tusk,
every talon and square inch of skin the color of a lichen-crusted boulder, all
blossomed on Bella FranklinтАЩs doorstep, topped by a spiffy blue cap embroidered
with the words hotel security. A monumental roar broke from his leathery lips. It
shook the floor, curled and crispy-fried the edges of the cheap hallway carpeting,
and brought down a shower of plaster from the ceiling.
It also fetched Mrs. Kenmore from across the hall. The old lady took one
look at Tom in his natural state, squealed like a mouse in a hamburger press, and
slammed the door hard enough to cause a second blizzard of plaster flakes.
Bella clucked her tongue. тАЬNow look what you did.тАЭ Unfazed by the troll, she
turned her head and called over one shoulder: тАЬHey, Bixby! IтАЩve got another job for