"Lisa Goldstein - Tourists" - читать интересную книгу автора (Goldstein Lisa)

manuscript carefully out of the briefcase. тАЬAnd you say you
discovered thisтАФwhere?тАЭ he said. He was already looking at
the colored web of calligraphy, the old Lurqazi letters before
the switch to the Roman alphabet.
тАЬAt the university,тАЭ Mitchell said. тАЬIn a box labeled тАШArabic
Studies.тАЩ тАЭ He still could not believe his luck.
тАЬYes,тАЭ Jara said. He pointed to a colored wheel of letters
that seemed to Mitchell to swirl like a kaleidoscope. тАЬThat is
called The Sun Upon the Waters. But of course you have
researched this before you came here.тАЭ
Mitchell nodded. His impatience took over and he said, тАЬDo
you think itтАЩs genuine?тАЭ
The young man sat back in his chair and placed the tips of
his fingers together. тАЬIt is too soon to tell, of course,тАЭ he said.
тАЬI shall have to perform testsтАФтАЭ
 тАЬItтАЩs been tested,тАЭ Mitchell said. тАЬJudging by the materials it
was made some time around the ninth century.тАЭ
тАЬAh,тАЭ Jara said. тАЬBut my own tests. But as a guess,
examining it now, I think that it may be authentic. It may be.
тАЭ He ran his fingers up and down the plastic. тАЬAnd it seems to
be, as you said, directionsтАФтАЭ
тАЬDirections to the Jewel KingтАЩs sword, тАЭ Mitchell said. He
was almost whispering. тАЬIt might beтАФit might be the Book of
Stones itself, mentioned in the epics.тАЭ
Dr. Jara was silent for a minute, staring at letters as bright
as the Jewel KingтАЩs robes. тАЬYou know,тАЭ he said finally, тАЬI wrote
my thesis on the sword. I examined its archetypal aspects, the
similarity between it and Excalibur, the sword in the
Arthurian stories. And now here you are saying that this
sword is a real thing, that it exists. You will turn us all on our
heads, Dr. Parmenter.тАЭ
тАЬWell,тАЭ Mitchell said, unsure of what answer to give to this,
тАЬget back to me as soon as possible. Please. IтАЩm anxious to
begin work.тАЭ
тАЬI should imagine. Yes,тАЭ Dr. Jara said, nodding. The nod was
a dismissal. Now that it came to it Mitchell was reluctant to
leave, to hand over the manuscript. He stood for a moment, a
big man looming over the small desk, the slight form of Dr.
JaraтАФhow embarrassing that he hadnтАЩt caught his name at
the airport yesterday!тАФbut Jara said nothing more, and
Mitchell turned to leave.
He spent a few hours at the library and in his new office,
ate lunch at the university cafeteria, but there was really
nothing he could do until Jara got back to him. He took out
TamirтАЩs letter and followed the directions home.
The crowd of people on the corner across from the house was
still there, had if anything grown larger. Looking at them
Mitchell realized that he hadnтАЩt seen anyone else in turbans in
the entire city. He passed the statue, wondering again why
the man was carrying an egg. Or was it a woman? The long