"James E. Gunn - The Magicians" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gunn James E)

"What kind of math?"
"Algebra, mostly. Occasionally a bit of calculus for the college-bound group." I stopped. I was
talking too much. "What is this? What has all this to do with whatever it is you want me to do?"
She smiled at me. "Just a few more questions," she said gently, "It's important to me."
I sighed again and flipped the quarter. It came down tails once more. "Okay," I said. "I'm not
going anywhere."
"Why did you leave teaching to become a private detective?" she asked.
"Have you noticed what they're paying teachers these days?" I asked. "Besides, I had a girl
friend." I listened to myself with horror. I certainly hadn't meant to talk about Suzie.
"What made you think you could be a successful detective?" she asked.
"You haven't been around any high schools lately," I said. "Actually, I was talked into it. I'm not
very good at it, as you can see." I was babbling, and I couldn't seem to help myself. It was as if I was
trying not to be hired by this strange old lady.
She nodded, apparently satisfied, and changed the subject. "Do you have any family?"
I shook my head. "I'm all alone in the world."
"Me, too," she said.
I stared at her. Why shouldn't an old lady be all alone in the world?
"We have something in common," she said quickly.
"Yeah," I said, but I didn't like it much.
"You have a girl friend, you said?"
I frowned at this further intrusion into my private life. I decided not to answer and then changed
my mind. "Had, lady, had!"
"There's no one near and dear to you?" she insisted.
"What is it, lady? If I said you were as near and dear to me as anyone on earth, I wouldn't be
exaggerating much!"
"It's quite important in affairs of this kind," she said primly, "not to have hostages to fortune
whose lives and welfare can be threatened by unscrupulousтАФ"
"What are affairs of this kind?" I asked, and then I realized that in her own old-fashioned way she
had told me that there was danger of death and I decided maybe I didn't want to know whatever it was
she wanted to tell me.
For she had decided to tell me. She nodded and said, "I want you to find a man."
"Who?"
"If I knew that, I wouldn't need a detective, would I?" she asked briskly.
Why not? I wanted to ask, but she went on before I could say anything. "He'll be coming into the
lobby of the hotel around the corner between nine thirty and ten o'clock tomorrow morning. You won't
have any trouble recognizing him. I'm sure he'll be tall and slim. His hair will be dark, medium length,
graying around the temples. He'll be very distinguished looking. He'll be wearing evening clothes."
"At ten in the morning?"
"Oh, yes. And he'll have a pentacle in his lapel."
"A what?"
"A five-pointed star, made of gold, and engraved with symbols and Hebrew letters."
"He's Jewish."
"I don't think so."
I nodded as if I understood. It was a good piece of acting, "What do you mean, you're sure he'll
look like this and that? Haven't you seen him before?"
"Oh, yes. I saw him earlier today. I'm sure he won't trouble to change."
"Change what?" I asked with heavy sarcasm. "His clothes or his face?"
"Either," she said. "But I'm not doing it well, am I?" Her hands fluttered. "I'm afraid I'm only
confusing you. Oh, dear!"
Confusing me. That was the understatement of the year. My head was spinning like the gears of