"Henry Kuttner & C. L. Moore - Prisoner In The Skull" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kuttner Henry)

"I think I'd better get out of here," Veronica remarked. "Next you'll be telling me he's a homicidal maniac."

Fowler laughed heartily. "There's a box in the kitchenтАФit's in that red cupboard with the blue handle. It's pretty heavy.
But

see if you can manage it. Take it in to Norman and tell him to make another Hed-D-Acher with a different wiring
circuit."

"Are you drunk?"

Fowler repressed an impulse to bite the mouthpiece off the telephone. His nerves were crawling under his skin. "This
isn't a gag, Veronica. I told you how important it is. A hundred thousand bucks isn't funny. Look, got a pencil? Write
this down." He dictated some technical instructions he had gleaned by asking the right questions. "Tell that to
Norman. He'll find all the materials and tools he needs in the box."

"If this is a gagтАФ" Veronica said, and there was a pause. "Well, hang on."

Silence drew on. Fowler tried to hear what was happening so many miles away. He caught a few vague sounds, but
they were meaningless. Then voices rose in loud debate.

"Veronica!" Fowler shouted. "Veronica!" There was no answer.

After that, voices again, but softer. And presently:

"Johnny," Veronica said, "if you ever pull a trick like that on me againтАФ"

"What happened?"

"Hiding a gibbering idiot in your houseтАФ" She was breathing fast.

"He's . . . what did he do? What happened?"

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. Except when I opened the door your houseboy walked out and began running around the
house like a ... a bat. He was trying to talkтАФJohnny, he scared me!" She was plaintive.

"Where is he now?"

"Back in his room. I ... I was afraid of him. But I was trying not to show it. I thought if I could get him back in and lock
the doorтАФI spoke to him, and he swung around at me so fast I guess 1 let out a yell. And then he kept trying to say
somethingтАФ''

"What?"

"How should I know? He's in his room, but I couldn't find a key to it. I'm not staying here a minute longer. I ... here he
comes!"

"Veronica! Tell him to go back to his room. Loud andтАФlike you mean it!"

She obeyed. Fowler could hear her saying it. She said it several times.