"James Herbert - The Survivor" - читать интересную книгу автора (Herbert James)

Keller sipped at his own beer, feeling Tewson's eyes studying him from over the
rim of his glass.

'I appreciate what you're trying to do, Harry, but it's not necessary. It's true I feel
sad, but it's got nothing to do with nervous depression; it's more like a great
weariness at the back of my mind. It might sound crazy to you, but I feel there's
something I've got to do, something I've got to find out, and the answer lies here in
Eton. I can't explain it and I can't resist it -not if I'm ever going to be all right
again. There's something more that I can't put my finger on. Maybe it's a memory,
I don't know. But sooner or later, it'll come through, and then perhaps I will be
helping you. For the moment though, I'm asking you.'

Tewson sighed heavily and laid his glass back on the table. For a few moments he
was deep in thought, his chin almost resting on his chest. Abruptly, he
straightened, his decision made.

'Okay, Dave,' he said, 'this is strictly between you and me - off the record. If Slater
ever found out I'd told you anything, he'd get rid of me like a shot. We don't get

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 Herbert, James - The Survivor UC FR


along at the best of times."

Keller nodded. Slater was the investigator in charge of the air crash and
responsible for the organisation, conduct, and control of the investigation. It was
his job to establish the working groups covering the various phases of the inquiry.
A dour, methodical man, Keller knew he had little time for Tewson's rash and cart-
before-the-horse method of working.

'Right,' Tewson began, taking a huge swallow of beer as though to fortify himself.
'As you know, the first thing we look for in a disaster of this kind is the Flight
Recorder. We found it all right, but the entire outer metal case showed signs of
melting. The main damage was in the front, and the aluminium foil strip, on which
all the information from the different flight instruments is recorded in code, was
exposed.

'It was covered in soot, but not too badly damaged. We removed it from its outer
covering and sent it off to the labs for decoding. Well, although the recording of
your take-off was mostly destroyed, we can assume that you, as co-pilot, went
through the normal check list with the flight engineer as soon as the Control
Tower gave Captain Rogan permission to start engines at the apron.'

'I just don't remember, Harry,' Keller said worriedly.

тАШNo, I know that. But as switching on the recorder was part of the check list, it's a
fair assumption you went through the lotтАЩ

Keller nodded. 'Go on.'