"Brian Lumley - Psychomech 02 - Psychosphere" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lumley Brian)

... Remembered Garrison buying one large pink chip worth fifty pounds
sterling, and the way he had casually crossed to the central roulette wheel to
toss the chip onto the table's zero. And how with the next spin the ball had
dropped, as if pre-ordained, directly into that very slotтАФhow in fact it had
fallen into that slot twice in succession. And how Garrison had let the spoils
of his first incredible gamble ridel
The gasps of shock, astonishment and appreciation that went up then had been
the summons which brought the boss, the raven-haired Carlo Vicenti himself,
hurrying up to the table, his face darkening under brows already black as
thunder. "Mr, er, Garrison? Yes, your custom was recommended. The club's
misfortune, it ap-
Brian Lumley
pears." He forced a smile. "Well, sir, you have won a great deal of money, in
fact a fortune, andтАФ"
"And I want to let it ride one last time," Garrison had unsmilingly cut him
short.
"On the zero?" Vicenti's jaw had dropped.
Garrison had frowned thoughtfully, only half-seriously, almost mockingly.
"Certainly, on the zero, why not?"
"But sir, you have already won over sixty thousand pounds, andтАФ"
"Sixty-four thousand and eight hundred, to be exact," Garrison had cut him
short again, "тАФincluding my stake, of course. But please do go on."
Vicenti had leaned towards him then, staring up into his dark, heavy lenses
and stating in a lowered tone, but perfectly audibly, "Sir, unbeknown to you,
the operator of this wheel has already been obliged to ask the house for
permission to cover your second bet. normally, you understand we would have a
limit of one thousand pounds on this wheel. And besides, the zero cannot
possibly come up a third time."
Garrison had stood rock still, apparently frozen to the floor by something
Vicenti had said. His answer, when finally it came, was delivered in a voice
steady, firm and chill: "Am 1 to understand that this wheel is fixed?"
Vicenti was astounded. "What? I said no such thing! Of course the wheel is not
fixed. I did not mean that theтАФ"
"Then it can 'possibly' spin a third zero?"
4
PSYCHOSPHERE
"But certainly, sirтАФexcept it is most unlikely, andтАФ"
"Unlikely or not," Garrison cut in for the third time, "I wish to bet."
A half-apologetic shrug. "We cannot cover it. And sirтАФ" this time Vicenti's
voice had been almost conspiratorial, wheedling, "тАФaren't you being just a
little frivolous with your money?"
"Not with mine," and now Garrison smiled broadly. "With yours, perhaps, but
not mine. I only started with fifty pounds."
All of this Joe Black had witnessed from a position close at hand. Also the
way Vicenti had turned an explosive purple at Garrison's last remark. At that
moment Joe had known, whatever the apparent outcome of this confrontation,
that the little Sicilian would take a terrible revenge on the blind manтАФin one
way or another. The one thing Vicenti had never been able to stand was to be
laughed atтАФand here he stood, an object of ridicule. Certainly in his own
eyes. Possibly in the eyes of half of the club's regular clientele, who now