"Laurell K. Hamilton - Anita Blake 02 - Laughing Corpse" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hamilton Laurell K)

тАЬDo you understand what youтАЩre asking, Mr. Gaynor?тАЭ I asked.
He nodded. тАЬI will supply the white goat.тАЭ His voice was still pleasant as
he said it, still smiling. Only his eyes had gone dark; eager, anticipatory.
I stood up. тАЬCome on, Bert, itтАЩs time to leave.тАЭ
Bert grabbed my arm. тАЬAnita, sit down, please.тАЭ
I stared at his hand until he let go of me. His charming mask slipped,
showing me the anger underneath, then he was all pleasant business again.
тАЬAnita. It is a generous payment.тАЭ
тАЬThe white goat is a euphemism, Bert. It means a human sacrifice.тАЭ
My boss glanced at Gaynor, then back to me. He knew me well enough to
believe me, but he didnтАЩt want to. тАЬI donтАЩt understand,тАЭ he said.
тАЬThe older the zombie the bigger the death needed to raise it. After a few
centuries the only death тАШbig enoughтАЩ is a human sacrifice,тАЭ I said.
Gaynor wasnтАЩt smiling anymore. He was watching me out of dark eyes. Cicely
was still looking pleasant, almost smiling. Was there anyone home behind those
so blue eyes? тАЬDo you really want to talk about murder in front of Cicely?тАЭ I
asked.
Gaynor beamed at me, always a bad sign. тАЬShe canтАЩt understand a word we
say. CicelyтАЩs deaf.тАЭ
I stared at him, and he nodded. She looked at me with pleasant eyes. We
were talking of human sacrifice and she didnтАЩt even know it. If she could read
lips, she was hiding it very well. I guess even the handicapped, um,
physically challenged, can fall into bad company, but it seemed wrong.
тАЬI hate a woman who talks constantly,тАЭ Gaynor said.
I shook my head. тАЬAll the money in the world wouldnтАЩt be enough to get me
to work for you.тАЭ
тАЬCouldnтАЩt you just kill lots of animals, instead of just one?тАЭ Bert asked.
Bert is a very good business manager. He knows shit about raising the dead.
I stared down at him. тАЬNo.тАЭ
Bert sat very still in his chair. The prospect of losing a million dollars
must have been real physical pain for him, but he hid it. Mr. Corporate
Negotiator. тАЬThere has to be a way to work this out,тАЭ he said. His voice was
calm. A professional smile curled his lips. He was still trying to do
business. My boss did not understand what was happening.
тАЬDo you know of another animator that could raise a zombie this old?тАЭ
Gaynor asked.
Bert glanced up at me, then down at the floor, then at Gaynor. The
professional smile had faded. He understood now that it was murder we were
talking about. Would that make a difference?
I had always wondered where Bert drew the line. I was about to find out.
The fact that I didnтАЩt know whether he would refuse the contract told you a
lot about my boss. тАЬNo,тАЭ Bert said softly, тАЬno, I guess I canтАЩt help you
either, Mr. Gaynor.тАЭ
тАЬIf itтАЩs the money, Ms. Blake, I can raise the offer.тАЭ
A tremor ran through BertтАЩs shoulders. Poor Bert, but he hid it well.
Brownie point for him.
тАЬIтАЩm not an assassin, Gaynor,тАЭ I said.
тАЬThat ainтАЩt what I heard,тАЭ Tommy of the blond hair said.
I glanced at him. His eyes were still as empty as a dollтАЩs. тАЬI donтАЩt kill
people for money.тАЭ