"Jack Mann - Her Ways Are Death" - читать интересную книгу автора (Mann Jack)

тАЬBelieve in itтАФno,тАЭ Gees said promptly. тАЬIn the possibility that there is such a thingтАФyes. Obeah,
Voodoo, the evidence isтАФтАЭ
тАЬNo!тАЭ Naylor interrupted rather peremptorily. тАЬNot African magicтАФor hoodoo, if it is that.
Witchcraft, for which women used to be drowned, and burned, and all the rest. That sort, I mean.тАЭ
тАЬI believe it did exist,тАЭ Gees answered cautiously.
тАЬSupposing I tell you it still existed?тАЭ Naylor said. тАЬHere, in TroyarbourтАФand directed against me?тАЭ
тАЬThen,тАЭ Gees answered steadily, тАЬIтАЩd advise you to consult a mental specialist, not a confidential
agent like myself.тАЭ
тАЬWill you let me try to convince you?тАЭ Naylor asked earnestly.
Gees nodded assent. тАЬBut IтАЩm tough,тАЭ he pointed out. тАЬI take an awful lot of convincing. Who and
what is your witchтАФor wizard?тАЭ
тАЬWitch!тАЭ Naylor made an exclamation of the word. тАЬWitch, if ever there was one! Here, in
Troyarbour, andтАФandтАФher ways are death!тАЭ


GEES said calmly, тАЬYou seem to have a certain respect for the potentialities of this lady, whoever she
may be. In factтАФwell!тАЭ He left it at that, except for an inquiring glance at Naylor.
He wanted to keep this interview on a light note, if possible. NaylorтАЩs fingers were clasping and
unclasping, and altogether the man looked as if he believed what he saidтАФas if he were in fear. Yet,
Gees felt sure, he was a strong character, and not altogether a likable one at that. If he maintained this
intensity, things might become difficult. He might, too, be attaching far too much weight to nothing at all.
Ever has an accusation of witchcraft been hard to prove. Nineteen out of twenty times it has had no
foundation in fact, but has been dictated by envy, covetousness, or mere spite.
Naylor said, doubtfully, тАЬIt is a long story, IтАЩm afraid.тАЭ
тАЬThe night is young,тАЭ Gees rejoined cheerfully. тАЬIn fact, it isnтАЩt tea time, yet, and IтАЩm going to hunt
quarters in this locality when it threatens to get darkтАФnot go back to London.тАЭ
тАЬI believe you could get a room at The Three Thorns,тАЭ Naylor informed him. тАЬThey take in tourists,
sometimesтАФhikers, I believe the people call themselves. Men and girls with knapsacksтАФтАЭ He broke off,
obviously embarrassed. Gees reflected that, by the look of this place, there must be dozens of empty
bedrooms, and made no comment.
He said, тАЬThis long story, now? Or have you changed your mind?тАЭ
тАЬNoтАФOh, no!тАЭ It was a hasty, almost frantic denialтАФthe man was far too intense, Gees knew. тАЬIt
goes backтАФwell, a long way. I said it was a long story. Are you in any way conversant with
mythologyтАФancient beliefs?тАЭ
тАЬтАШThe Golden Bough,тАЩ тАЭ Gees told him solemnly, тАЬis one of the fondest things IтАЩm of. I sometimes
make it a bedside book.тАЭ
тАЬThenтАЭтАФNaylor frowned at the levity of the reply, but made no commentтАФтАЬyou will know the Norse
legends, I expect?тАЭ
тАЬWitchcraft enough there,тАЭ Gees observed, more gravely.
тАЬAndтАФand other things,тАЭ Naylor amended. тАЬSuch asтАФboth the Valkyrs and the Volsungs owned
Odin as their father. I am more particulaily concerned with the Volsung raceтАФWagner used that legend
in his Germanized version of a Norse mythтАФas it is usually considered.тАЭ
тАЬAnd as, of course, it is,тАЭ Gees added.
Naylor shook his head. тАЬOh, no!тАЭ he dissented, and again there was evident in him an intensity which,
on the face of it, the subject did not warrant. тАЬThe gods of Norse legend actually existedтАФnot as
immortals, but as heroes of the race, originally. They were deified and given attributes of godhead by
later generations, but Odin and Thor, and BaldurтАФexisted. And LokiтАФhe too was real.тАЭ
тАЬA prehistoric confidence trickster,тАЭ Gees suggested.
Naylor not only frowned, this time, but voiced his objection to such flippancy with regard to a subject
on which, evidently, he was far from flippant. He said, тАЬI donтАЩt like your tone, Mr. Green. Loki was real