"Brian Lumley - E-Branch 2 - Invaders" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lumley Brian)

'Lakes?' the old fellow cut in, frowning. 'Yer visitin' the lakes?' Then, with a knowing nod of
his head, he muttered, 'Big disappointment, that/
'Oh?' Jake lifted an eyebrow.
But the oldster only laughed out loud and slapped his thigh. 'Lake Disappointment!' he guffawed.
'Way up north o' here. Damn me, they falls fer it every time!' He sobered up, said, 'Lakes, eh?
Somethin' ter see, is it? Huh! Plenty o' mud and salt, but that's about all/

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'And wildlife!' Liz protested.
'Oh, aye, that too,' he said. 'Anyway, what would I know or care? I 'ave me own wildlife, after
all.'
'The creature?' Jake swigged on his beer.
"Im's the one,' the old boy nodded. 'Yer wanna see 'im?'
Jake had done with studying the oldster. But he would certainly like to take a closer look at this
shack - or what lay behind it or maybe beneath it. Liz could feel his curiosity, no matter how
hard he tried to keep it from the old boy. Moreover, she knew that between them they must check
this place out, and so decided to do her bit, create a diversion as best she could. And anyway
(she told herself), the old man didn't seem much of a threat.
I'd like to see him,' she said. 'I mean, what's the mystery? What kind of creature is it, anyway?
Or is it just a con - some mangy, diseased dingo crawled in out of the desert - to pull in a few
more travellers?' And to her partner, though she knew he wouldn't take her up on it: 'What about
you, Jake? You want to come and see this thing?'
Jake shook his head, took another pull at his bottle. 'Not me, Liz. I've a thirst to slake. But if
you want to have a look at some mangy dog, well, go right ahead.' Almost choking on the words, he
got them out somehow. Damn it to hell-the idea was supposed to be that they didn't get split up.'
He hoped she knew what she was doing. There again, she'd been in this game longer than he had. And



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that pissed Jake more than a little, too: the fact that Liz was in effect the boss here.
'Torch,' said the old boy, taking a heavy rubber-jacketed flashlight from the shelf and handing it
to Liz. 'Yer'11 need it. I keeps 'im in out o' the sun, which would surely fry 'is eyes. But it's
dark in the back o' the shack there. And this time o' evenin' even darker in 'is cage.' When she
looked uncertain, didn't move, he cocked his head on one side and said, 'Er, yer just follers the
signs, is all.'
Liz looked at him, hefted the torch, said, 'You want me to go alone?'

'Can't very well get lost!' he said. But then, grumblingly, he hobbled out from behind the
makeshift bar. 'It's these old pins o' mine,' he said. 'See, they don't much like ter go. But yer
right - can't let a little lady go wanderin' about in the dark on 'er own. So just you foller me,
miss. Just you foller old Bruce.' And then they were gone.
Jake took a small pager out of his pocket and switched it on. Now if Liz got in trouble she only
had to press the button on her own beeper and he would know it... and vice versa. For in this game
it was just as likely that he would be the one to make a wrong move.