"08 - The SSR Sings the Blues" - читать интересную книгу автора (Harrison Harry)

"La necesejo estas cc tae?" I said, smiling smarmily.

"What you say? What you doin' here?"

"Indeed?" I snorted through widened nostrils. "Rather short on education,
particularly a knowledge of Esperanto, aren't we? If you must know,
speaking in the vulgar argot of this planet-I was told that the men's room
was down here."

"Well it ain't. Da udder way."

"You're too kind."

I turned and strolled diffidently down the hall. Had taker. three steps
before reality penetrated his sluggish synapses.

"Come back here, you!"

I stopped and turned about, pointed past him. "Down that way?" I asked. The
gas projector I had palmed when my back was turned towards him hissed
briefly. His eyes closed and he dropped; I took the gun from his limp hands
as he fell by. Placed it on his sleeping chest since it was of no help to
me. Walked briskly past him and pushed open the door to the emergency
stairs. Closed and leaned against it and breathed very deeply. Then took
out the map that had been in the press kit and poked my finger on the
symbol for stairs. Now, down to the storeroom . . . footsteps sounded
below.

Up. Quietly on soft soles. A change of plan was very much in order since
the alarm had sounded, ruling out a simple exit with the crowd. Up, five,
six ,flights until the steps ended in a door labeled KROV. Which probably
meant roof in the local language.

There were three different alarms that I disabled before I pushed the door
open and slipped through. Looked around at the usual rooftop clutter; water
tanks, vents, aircon units-and a goodsized smokestack puffing out
pollution. Perfect.

The moneybag clunked as I dropped all my incriminating weapons and tools
into it. My belt buckle twisted open and I took out the reel and motor.
Attached the molebind plug from the suspension cord to the bag, then
lowered it all down the chimney. Reaching down as far as I could I secured
the reel mechanism to the inside of the pipe.

Done. It would wait there as long as needed, until all the excitement
calmed down. An investment waiting to be collected you might say. Then,
armed only with my innocence, I retraced my course back down the stairs and
on to the ground floor.