"Philip E. High - No Truce With Terra" - читать интересную книгу автора (High Phillip E)

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Chapter One
LIPSCOMBE turned the car off the road and pulled up in the short drive
leading to the garage.

"The place is in a bit of a mess I'm afraid. The wife's away for a week,
you know, staying with her mother." He grinned faintly and slid open the
car door. "It could be worseтАФher mother could have been staying with us.
Come in for a drink anyway."

"Thanks." Collard followed him up the drive, looking interestedly at the
low detached building. "You live well, don't you?"

Lipscombe laughed. "I'll be near to retirement before I've finished
paying for it. Mind you, these fibroplastic jobs are cheaper than the
section-construction units, but in this case I'm paying through the nose
for a country avenue estate and, of course, the interior equipment." He
fumbled in his pocket for his keys. "I must say these automatic interior
units are good. Just set the controls and the damn thing dusts and cleans
itself; with the wife away it would be a horrible mess otherwise."

He inserted his key in the lock and turned. "Funny!" He pushed slightly
at the door and turned the key again.

"What's up?" Collard had been studying the flower beds with a tinge of
envy. He wished he had the time and money to devote to such exotics as
Salamson-hybrids.

Lipscombe said, "The door won't open." He turned the key again,
frowning. "Damn funny." He made three more attempts, then walked
quickly across the small lawn and peered through the window. "Strange,
can't see a thing; looks as if the pane has been blacked on the inside. Hold
on, I'll try the back."

He returned some seconds later, scowling. "Back door won't open either
and I've tried the spare key. Blasted nuisance, I can't force the door or
windows or the automatic alarm will ring the nearest police station." He
lit a cigarette irritably. "Can't think what to do."

"Your best move would be to notify the police," said Collard practically.
"I should take a note of the type of lock and ask them to bring a locksmith
with them."