"Katherine Kurtz - Adept 02 - The Lodge of the Lynx" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kurtz Katherine)

Edinburgh.
Of one thing only was he certain yet, concerning the two. He had the distinct feeling that there was far more
to both of them than met the eye. Though the brief conversation in front of the rectory had dealt only in
friendly commonplaces, Adam's manner had been unusually open, suggesting that he felt no need to be on
his guard where the two were concerned. And that seemingly casual remark of his, about Peregrine being an
old soulтАж.
Curious to test his intuition, at least about Christopher, Peregrine took a deep breath and sat back in his
seat, letting his eyelids droop until the physical images before him softened to a blur of color and motion.
Turning his attention to the back of Christopher's head, he took another deep, slow breath and prepared to let
his deeper sight take overтАж.
Before he could capture his first impression, Adam's mellow voice intruded on his reverie.
"So, my friend," he said, addressing the priest, "before we meet this young lady of yours, is there anything
more you think I ought to know about her?"
Peregrine snapped out of near-trance to discover that Christopher Houston was frowning thoughtfully into the
windscreen.
"Rather think I've already told you everything of substance," he said. "Helena Pringle's a sensible lass, not at
all the sort to give way to flights of fancy. That's what made me prick up my ears when she first phoned me
up to say there was something wrong about the flat."
"Has she actually claimed to see anything like a physical manifestation?" Adam asked.
"No, thank God. But since I visited her there, she's had more of the nightmares - nasty enough to make her
afraid to go to sleep. I know I told you before that I didn't think there was any need for a formal exorcism, but
you ought to know that I did bring along a few things, just in case."
He gestured toward his briefcase in the back as he spoke, but his use of the word exorcism had already
given Peregrine an unpleasant jolt. He looked up sharply and found himself meeting Adam's amused gaze in
the rearview mirror.
"Don't worry," Adam said. "I know I told you we didn't think it was serious, but Christopher likes to be
prepared, as do I. Whatever else we're going to do today, I doubt very seriously that we'll be casting out
demons by bell, book, and candle. Just keep your eyes open, and be ready to draw anything that comes
strongly to mindтАж."
Nicholson Street was an area inhabited largely by students from Edinburgh University. Helena Pringle's flat
was located on the second floor of a large, mid-terraced house across from a row of small shops. Christopher
led the way up two flights of stairs and knocked briskly on the door at the left-hand side of the landing.
Almost at once a girl's soft voice called hesitantly from the other side of the door.
"Father Houston?"
"At your service, m'dear," Christopher said jauntily. "Brought along some reinforcements as well. If we're to do
a proper investigation, I thought we might as well make a thorough job of it."
Helena Pringle opened the door. In person she was plump and fair, with a fresh complexion and lustrous
ginger-blond hair. She made an effort to smile as she ushered them through into the sitting room, but Adam
was quick to note the shadows of sleeplessness underscoring her wide blue eyes.
"This is Dr. Adam Sinclair," Christopher said, performing the introductions. "He's a psychiatrist - specializes
in hypnotherapy. And this is Mr. Lovat. Between us all, we should be able to sort this thing out."
Helena glanced uneasily from Christopher to Adam, standing tall against the light from the sitting room
windows. She was nervously twisting her hands together.
"A psychiatrist?" she murmured. "Does that mean I'm mentally ill?"
"Not in the least," Adam said with a reassuring smile. "But from what Christopher has said, I understand that
you've been having some exceptionally disturbing dreams. It occurred to both of us that it might be useful to
look more closely at those dreams, to see if we can find out what's causing them. With your permission, I
thought I might try hypnosis to help you recall details that you might have overlooked."
"You want to hypnotise me?" she whispered apprehensively.
"I assure you, it won't be anything like what happens in the more lurid late-night horror films," he said, trying