"Kuttner, Henry - Red Gem of Mercury" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kuttner Henry)

grinned.
"All right," he said. "You saw the jewel, eh?"
"I got a glimpse of it, yes. And now there is a little scar in the center of
your forehead--"
"Operation. I'd figured that I'd have to wear that stone till I died, like the
original owner. But he wasn't--exactly human." Vane hesitated. "Maybe his race
didn't know much about surgery. Maybe their nervous structure was more
sensitive. I dunno. An operation removed the jewel, and I'm still alive."
"I see. And what really happened to Tony Apollo?"
"He died the first day after we broke out of prison. Before that, he asked me to
get Pasqual for him if he failed. Tony Apollo was a crook and a gangster, but he
played square, in his own way. And he never broke a promise."
"But it wasn't Apollo who followed Pasqual up that fire-escape."
Vane smiled grimly. "Pasqual saw him. The Chief saw him. The whole crowd saw
him--so did you."
"Yes, I saw him," Uncle Tobe nodded. "But--did you?"
There was a brief silence. Then Vane shook his head.
"No, I didn't see him. He wasn't there, except in the minds of Pasqual and the
chief and all the rest. I--well, let's say I used hypnotism." Involuntarily the
lawyer's hand went up to the scar on his forehead.
Uncle Tobe tugged at his lower lip, "The red jewel? You still have it? What did
you do with it?"
"It's safe," Vane said. "Some day--perhaps I may be forced to use it again.
Anyway--" He picked up his fork "--this Hasenpfeffer is swell. How about another
helping?"