"Henry Kuttner - Private Eye" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kuttner Henry)

looked noble, in a grim way, like Richard Coeur-de-Lion offer-ing Saladin
his freedom, though he knew it wasnтАЩt really a bright thing to do. Noblesse
oblige, his firm jaw seemed to say, as he picked up the silver decanter and
poured. In ordinary light, Vanderman looked slightly more like a handsome
bulldog. Also, away from the Paradise Bar, he was redder around the
chops, a choleric man.

тАЬAs to that deal we were discussing,тАЭ Clay said, тАЬyou can go toтАФтАЭ

The censoring juke box blared out a covering bar or two.
 VandermanтАЩs reply was unheard as the music got briefly louder, and
the lights shifted rapidly to keep pace with his sudden flush.

тАЬItтАЩs perfectly easy to outwit these censors,тАЭ Clay said. тАЬTheyтАЩre
keyed to familiar terms of profane abuse, not to circumlocutions. If I said
that the arrangement of your chromosomes would have surprised your
fatherтАжyou see?тАЭ He was right. The music stayed soft.

Vanderman swallowed nothing. тАЬTake it easy,тАЭ he said. тАЬI can see why
youтАЩre upset. Let me say first of allтАФтАЭ

тАЬHijoтАФтАЭ

But the censor was proficient in Spanish dialects. Vanderman was
spared hearing another insult.

тАЬтАФthat I offered you a job because I think youтАЩre a very capable man.
You have potentialities. ItтАЩs not a bribe. Our personal affairs should be kept
out of this.тАЭ

тАЬAll the same, Bea was engaged to me.тАЭ

тАЬClay, are you drunk?тАЭ

тАЬYes,тАЭ Clay said, and threw his drink into VandermanтАЩs face. The
music began to play Wagner very, very loudly. A few minutes later, when
the waiters interfered. Clay was supine and bloody, with a mashed nose
and a bruised check. Vanderman had skinned his knuckles.

****

тАЬThatтАЩs a motive,тАЭ the engineer said.

тАЬYes, it is, isnтАЩt it? But why did Clay wait a year and a half? And
remember what happened later. I wonder if the murder itself was just a
symbol? If Vanderman represented, say, what Clay considered the
tyrannical and oppressive force of society in generalтАФsynthesized in the
representative imageтАжoh, nonsense. Obviously Clay was trying to prove
something to himself though. Suppose you cut forward now. I want to see
this in normal chronology, not backwards. WhatтАЩs the next selection?тАЭ