"Lisa Goldstein - Walking the Labyrith" - читать интересную книгу автора (Goldstein Lisa)

informality.тАЭ
Andrew could smell the manтАЩs strong sweat. He fished a notebook
and pencil from his blazer pocket. тАЬSo,тАЭ he said. тАЬMagic. Lead into
gold, water into wine, that sort of thing.тАЭ
тАЬGold into wine,тАЭ Callan said.
Andrew looked at him, discomfited. He had had a good strong
drink before the performance, thanking God, as he always did, that
Prohibition had ended two years before. He hadnтАЩt thought anyone
could tell, though.
тАЬThat dame who disappeared,тАЭ Andrew said. тАЬShe went through
the trapdoor, right?тАЭ
 Callan put a thick finger to his lips.
тАЬYou donтАЩt give away your secrets, is that it?тАЭ
CallanтАЩs finger was still at his lips. No, Andrew saw тАФ it was
pointing upwards, to the ceiling. тАЬThe room under the stage is
always called the trap room,тАЭ Callan said. тАЬBut in this particular
theater thereтАЩs no trapdoor.тАЭ
Andrew looked up at the unfinished ceiling. Pipes ran along it
and down the walls; there was no room for anything else. тАЬI love
this theater,тАЭ Callan said. тАЬItтАЩs the most beautiful place in the
world.тАЭ
тАЬSo how did you do it?тАЭ Andrew asked.
тАЬTrickery.тАЭ
тАЬRight.тАЭ Andrew opened his notebook, glanced at the questions he
had written there. тАЬIs everyone in the act part of your family?тАЭ
A woman came through the door. Callan stood and they
embraced. тАЬWhat do you think?тАЭ she asked. тАЬThey loved us, didnтАЩt
they?тАЭ
тАЬOf course they did,тАЭ Callan said. He turned her toward Andrew
as if introducing her to an audience.
Andrew stood and doffed his skimmer. тАЬHello, maтАЩam,тАЭ he said.
тАЬIтАЩm Andrew Dodd from the Tribune .тАЭ
She held out her hand to him. тАЬA pleasure,тАЭ she said. тАЬIтАЩm
CallanтАЩs sister.тАЭ
Andrew took the hand, noticing the Allalie family resemblance.
Both brother and sister were short, muscular, with gaps between
their front teeth. But where Callan looked squat, like a frog or a
gargoyle, the same features had somehow combined to make his
sister almost beautiful. Her kimono was purple, with gold stars.
тАЬAnd youтАЩre all one family?тАЭ Andrew asked.
тАЬOh, yes,тАЭ the woman тАФ she had to be Thorne тАФ said. She leaned
against the piano and lit a cigarette with a green marble lighter,
fanning the smoke in front of her face.
тАЬWhen did you get started? And how?тАЭ
тАЬAnd why?тАЭ Thorne laughed.
More people were entering the trap room now, some still in
costume, some in ordinary work clothes. A woman painted gold
leaned over and kissed Callan, leaving a smear of gold on his cheek.
тАЬWere you one of the statues?тАЭ Andrew asked her.
тАЬStatues?тАЭ the woman said. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him as