"Gadget Had a Ghost, The" - читать интересную книгу автора (Leinster Murray)

УThere was,Ф he admitted, Уa line that I didnТt tell. It men-
tioned something that would mean nothing to anyone but myselfЧand IТve never mentioned it to anyone.Ф
Appolonius sighed. УAh, how often have I not read someoneТs inmost thoughts! Everyone believes his own thoughts quite unique! But still, I do not like this!Ф
Laurie leaned close to Coghlan. She said, under her breath, УWas the thing you didnТt tellЧabout me?Ф
Coghian looked at her uncomfortably, and nodded. УNice!Ф said Laurie, and smiled mischievously at him. Appolonius suddenly made a gesture. He lifted a goblet with water in it. He held it up at the level of their eyes.
УI show you the principle of magic,Ф he said firmly. УHere is a glass, containing water only. You see it contains nothing else!Ф
Mannard looked at it warily. The water was perfectly clear. Appolonius swept it around the table at eye-level.
УYou see! Now, Mr. Coghian, enclose the goblet with your hands. Surround the bowl. You, at least, are not a confederate! Now . .
The fat little man looked tensely at the glass held in CoghianТs cupped hands. Coghlan felt like a fool.
УAbracadabra 750 Fatima Miss Mannard is very beautiful!Ф he said in a theatrical voice. Then he added placidly, УAny other words would have done as well. Put down the glass, Mr. CoghIan, and look at it.Ф
Goghlan put down the goblet and took his hands away. There was a gold-piece in the goblet. It was an antiqueЧa ten-dirhem piece of the Turkish Empire.
УI could not build up the illusion,Ф said Appolonius, Уbut it was deceptive, was it not?Ф
УHowТd you do it?Ф asked Mannard interestedly.
УAt eye-level,Ф said Appolonius, Уyou cannot see the bottom of a goblet filled with water. Refraction prevents it. I dropped in the coin and held it at the level of your eyes. So long as it was held high, it seemed empty. That is all.Ф
Mannard grunted.
УIt is the principle which counts!Ф said Appolonius. УI did
something of which you knew nothing. You deceived yourselves, because you thought I was getting ready to do a trick. I had already done it. That is the secret of magic.Ф
He fished out the gold-piece and put it in his vest pocket, and Coghlan thought sourly that this trick was not quite as convincing as his own handwriting, his own fingerprints and most private thoughts, written down over seven centuries ago.
УHm . . . I think IТll mention your visitors to the police,Ф said Mannard. УIТm mentioned. I may be involved. ItТs too elaborate to be a practical joke, and thereТs that mention of somebody getting killed. I know some fairly high Turkish officials . youТll talk to anyone they send you?Ф
УNaturally.Ф Coghlan felt that he should be relieved, but he was not. Then something else occurred to him.
УBy the way,Ф he said to Appolonius, УyouТre in on this, too. ThereТs a memorandum that says the СadeptsТ were inquiring for you!Ф
He quoted, as well as he was able, the memo on the back of the page containing his fingerprints. The fat man listened, frowning.
УThis,Ф he said firmly, УI very much do not like! It is not good for my professional reputation to be linked with tricksters. It is very much not good!Ф
Astonishingly, he looked pale. It could be anger, but he was definitely paler than he had been. Laurie said briskly:
УYou said something about a gadget, Tommy. AtЧ8o Hosam, you said?Ф
Coghlan nodded. УYes. Duval and Lieutenant Ghalil said they were going to make inquiries theme.Ф
УAfter dinner,Ф suggested Laurie, Уwe could take the car and go look at the outside, anyhow? I donТt think Father has anything planned. It would be interestingЧФ
УNot a bad thought,Ф said Mannard. УItТs a pleasant night. WeТll all go.Ф
Laurie smiled ruefully at Coghian. And Coghian resolutely assured himself he was pleasedЧit was much better for him not to
be anywhere with Laurie, alone. But he was not cheered in the least.
Mannard pushed back his chair.
УItТs irritating!Ф he grunted. УI canТt figure out what theyТre driving at! By all means, letТs go look at that infernal house!Ф
They went up to MannardТs suite on the third floor of the Petra, and he telephoned and ordered the car heТd rented during his stay in Istanbul. Laurie put a scarf over her head. Somehow even that looked good on her, as Goghlan realized depressedly.
Appolonius the Great had blandly assumed an invitation and continued to talk about his political enterprise of bribery. He believed, he said, that there might be some ancient manuscripts turned up when enlightenment swept over the furtive villages of his people. Coghlan gathered that he claimed as many as two or three thousand fellow-countrymen.
The car was reported as ready.
УI shall walk down the stairs!Ф announced Appolonius, with a wave of his pudgy hand. УI feel somehow grand and dignified, now that someone has given me money for my people. I do not think that anyone can feel dignified in a lift.Ф
Mannard grunted. They moved toward the wide stairs, Appolonius in the lead.
The lights went out, everywhere. Immediately there was a gasp and a crashing sound. MannardТs voice swore furiously, halfway down the flight of curving steps. A moment ago he had been at the top landing.
The lights came on again. Mannard came storming up the steps. He glared about him, breathing hard. He was the very opposite of the typical millionaire just then. He looked hardboiled, athletic, spoiling for a fight.
УMy dear friend!Ф gasped Appolonius. УWhat happened?Ф
УSomebody tried to throw me downstairs!Ф growled Mannard balefully. УThey grabbed my foot and heaved! If IТd gone the way I was thrownЧif I hadnТt handled myself rightЧIТd have gone over the stair-rail and broken my blasted neck!Ф
He glared about him. But there were only the four of them in sight. Mannard peered each way along the hotel corridors. He fumed. But there was literally nobody around who could have done it.
УOh, maybe I slipped,Ф he said irritably, Уbut it didnТt feel like that! DammitЧ Oh, thereТs no harm done!Ф
He went down the stairs again, scowling. The lights stayed on. The others followed. Laurie said shakily:
УThat was odd, wasnТt it?Ф
УVery,Ф said Coghlan. УIf you remember, I said IТd been told that IТd probably murder him.Ф
УBut you were right by me!Ф said Laurie quickly.
УNot so close I couldnТt have done it,Ф said Coghlan. УI sort of wish it hadnТt happened.Ф
They reached the lower floor of the hotel, Mannard still bristling. Appolonius walked with a waddling, swaying grace. To Goghlan he looked somehow like pictures of the Agha Khan. He beamed as he walked. He was very impressive. And heТd been thinking as Coghlan had thought, for in the lobby he turned and said blandly:
УYou said something about a prophecy that you might murder Mr. Mannard. Be careful, Mr. Coghlan! Be careful!Ф