"MacLean, Alistair - The Way to Dusty Death" - читать интересную книгу автора (Maclean Alistair)"Yes, Dad. I thought of that before I came to see you." Rory hesitated again. "You know this thing about Johnny Harlow, Dad? The stories people are telling about his drinking too much." "Well?" MacAlpine's tone was wholly non-committal. It was with some difficulty that Rory managed to keep his pious expression from slipping: this was going to be much more difficult than he expected. "It's true. The drinking, I mean. I saw him in a pub tonight." "thank you, Rory, you may go." He paused. "Were you in that pub too?" "Me? Come on, Dad. I was outside. I could see in, though." "spying, lad?" "I was passing by." A curt but injured tone. MacAlpine waved a hand in dismissal. Rory turned to go, then turned again to face his father. "Maybe I don't like Johnny Harlow. But I do like Mary. I like her more than any person in the world." MacAlpine nodded, he knew this to be true. "I don't ever want to see her hurt. That's why I came to see you. She was in that pub with Harlow." "What!" MacAlpine's face had darkened in immediate anger. "Cut my throat and hope I die." "You are sure?" "I'm sure there's not." MacAlpine said mechanically. A little, but not much, of the anger had left his eyes. "It's just that I don't want to accept it. Mind you, I don't like spying. " "this wasn't spying, Dad." Rory's indignation could be of a particularly nauseating righteousness at times. This was detective work. When the good name of the Coronado team is at stake -- " MacAlpine lifted his hand to stop the spate of words and sighed heavily. "All right, all right, you virtuous little monster. Tell Mary I want her. Now. But don't tell her why." Five minutes later Rory had been replaced by a Mary who looked simultaneously apprehensive and defiant. She said: "Who told you this?" "Never mind who told me. Is it true or not?" "I'm twenty-two, Daddy." She was very quiet. "I don't have to answer you. I can look after myself." "Can you? Can you? If I were to throw you off the Coronado team? You've no money and you won't have till I'm dead. You've got no place to go. You've no mother now, at least no mother you can reach. You've no qualifications for anything. Who's going to employ a cripple without qualifications?" "I would like to hear you say those horrible things to me in front of Johnny Harlow." "surprisingly, perhaps, I won't react to that one. I was just as independent at your age, more so, I guess, and taking a poor view of parental authority." He paused, then went on curiously: You in love with this fellow?" tie's not a fellow. He's Johnny Harlow." MacAlpine raised an eyebrow at the intensity in her voice. "As for your question, am I never to be allowed any areas of privacy in my life?" "All right, all right." MacAlpine sighed. "A deal. If you answer my questions then I'll tell you why I'm asking them. OK?" |
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