"Jay Lake - Benedice Te" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lake Jay)

тАЬWhat sort of ram?тАЭ asked Algernon, avoiding the Irish Question. What was
Lord Quinnipiac telling him, summoning him to the BishopтАЩs Palace just to bring this
up? In AlgernonтАЩs imagination burnished copper eagles screamed with the sound of
escaping steam.

Lord Quinnipiac put down the pressure line and picked up the newspaper,
shaking it out to study the article. тАЬAh. No great loss. Colonial make. Olds-Edison
Carg-O-Master VI, it would seem.тАЭ He laughed. тАЬOur Texian friends never seem to
tire of buying inferior mechanology for political reasons. If I ruled only three
hundred sea miles from the homeport of the French Caribbean Fleet, I would
damned well ensure I had the best British manufacture in every essential application.тАЭ

Algernon wanted to leave the subject of the steam ram, but his attempted
murder had the fascination of an old bruise. Why the deuce was Quinnipiac going on
about it? тАЬHow was the engine destroyed? Surely not by happenstance.тАЭ

Without referring to the paper, Quinnipiac looked Algernon in the eye. тАЬThe
ram jumped the electro-guide, rolled over and slid across Mechanic Street. Shoved
up against a building, then the main boiler blew.тАЭ

He does know, thought Algernon. He had something to do with it, somehow.
But why? тАЬAnyone hurt?тАЭ

тАЬNo sign of the engineer. Some wogs died, but no one of significance.тАЭ

So we are pretending it wasnтАЩt about me. тАЬI presume the newspaper gives a
cause for this accident.тАЭ

The Consul-GeneralтАЩs marbled blue eyes peered out of his long,
wind-reddened face as he studied Algernon. тАЬNo, Mr. Black-Smith, it offers no
explanation. Do you have a theory?тАЭ

тАЬNo, sir.тАЭ He didnтАЩt dare express his personal interest in the problem. Let
Quinnipiac think him a fool.

тАЬVery well then.тАЭ Lord Quinnipiac shrugged, tossing the paper to the floor.
тАЬAs it happens, I would like you to go to San Antonio de Bexar.тАЭ
 San Antonio de Bexar was the capital of the Texian Republic and seat of the
Roman Catholic Church in the Americas. An uneasy relationship at best, Algernon
knew. And perfectly well staffed with his colleagues from the Confidential Office.
тАЬSir?тАЭ

тАЬThe Arch-Bishop and the Mexican throne have conspired to steal certain of
Her Imperial MajestyтАЩs privy secrets. They have concealed it in Texian territory in
hopes of throwing us off the scent. This is being handled through my office for
reasons of, ah ... confidentiality.тАЭ Quinnipiac actually winked at him.

Algernon nodded slowly. The Consul-General was playing an odd game,
verbal orders outside the chain of command, no briefing books, no bona fides from
AlgernonтАЩs own superiors in the Confidential Office. This stank of high politics.