"R. A. Lafferty - Melchisedek 02 - Tales of Midnight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lafferty R A)

Salvatore."
The name Henri Salvatore was not familiar to Duffey, but something
there was familiar, This Henri or Henry was one of Duffey's own creations,
from a talisman given, many years before, to a Cajun riverman. This Cajun,
probably a maternal uncle (since his forgotten surname was definitely not
Salvatore) had surely conferred that talisman for the birthing of this
person who had written the letter. Yes, Duffey would recognize one of his
creations anywhere, even by a letter written by one of them. But why should
a creature be able to give a life assignment to his own creator? And was it
in St. Louis that the talismanic children were going to have their conclave
independently of their creator? Why then was their creator invited to town
by one of them?
Duffey and Casey and Mary Catherine left the station area in three
different taxi cabs, and they went down three different streets. So much for
that. Duffey took his taxi to the home of one of his partners, Charley
Murray.
But the cabs of Duffey and Casey arrived, from opposite directions,
in front of the Murray residence, at the same time. Once again, it was a
thing that could get a little bit stuffy.
"I go in here, Casey," Duffey said with just a little bit of
irritation, "An old friend and partner of mine lives here. "
"I go in here also," Casey said, a little bit puzzled. "This was the
address that I have. You had better check your address. Mine checks."
Oh, it was explained all right, after a little whthe, inasmuch as
such almost-embarrassing things are ever explained. Charley Murray greeted
Duffey as his oldest and best friend, as he was. And Charley knew who Casey
was and had been expecting him.
"I meant to phone you, Duffey, and tell you that this young Casey
was coming down from Chicago to St. Louis at about the same time you were,
Charley Murray said. "I thought it would be nice if there were some way you
could recognize each other in case you traveled on the same train. I was
wondering how I could describe you to each other so you could make
yourselves known, but this was a little bit difficult considering that I had
never seen Casey."
"You described us both marvelously, even though at a dwastance, even
though you were not conscious that you were doing it," Duffey said. "The
mind of man was a wonderful thing. Though you had never seen Casey, I
recognized him instantly from your description."
"You are, as always, a crooked-tongued fraud, Melchisedech," Charley
said. "You two met on the train, did yoa? Casey has come to town for the
wedding of an army friend of his, a nephew of mine. We weren't sure how much
room there would be for out-of-town guests over at the Stranahans, so Casey
was here on a possible overflow basis. And he was welcome here, and there,
and everywhere."
Well, that was all right, that was fine, that was as good an
explanation as any. Duffey's breath ran a little short when he heard part of
it, of course, but we all have shortages of breath sometimes. Duffey knew a
man named Stranahan here in St. Louis, a Patrick Stranahan who used to come
into the Rounders' Club, a man who was very close to this Charley Murray,
and a fairly close friend of Duffey himself. And Duffey, once on an evening