"George R. R. Martin - WC 4 - Aces Abroad" - читать интересную книгу автора (Martin George R R)

him once. He lived through it, but it scarred his face terribly. He's the only
reason Baby Doc's still in power."
"Duvalier has his secret police acting as our chaffeurs?" Tachyon asked,
astonished. "Whatever for?"
Ray looked at him as if he were a child. "So they can watch us. They watch
everybody. It's their job." Ray laughed a sudden, barking laugh. "They're easy
enough to spot. They all have dark sunglasses and wear blue suits. Sort of a
badge of office. There's one over there."
Ray gestured to the far corner of the lounge. The Tonton Macoute sat at an
otherwise empty table, a bottle of rum and half-filled glass in front of him.
Even though the lounge was dimly lit, he had on dark glasses, and his blue suit
was as unkempt as any of Dorian Wilde's.
"I'll see about this," Tachyon said, outrage in his voice. He started to stand,
but settled back in his chair as a large, scowling man came into the lounge and
strode straight toward their table.
"It's him," Ray whispered. "Charlemagne Calixte."
He didn't have to tell them. Calixte was a dark-skinned black, bigger and
broader than most Haitians Chrysalis had seen so far, and uglier too. His short
kinky hair was salted with white, his eyes were hidden behind dark glasses, and
shriveled scar tissue crawled up the right side of his face. His manner and
bearing radiated power, confidence, and ruthless efficiency.
"Bon jour." He bowed a precise little bow. His voice was a deep, hideous rasp,
as if the poison that had eaten away the side of his face had also affected his
tongue and palate.
"Bon jour," Tachyon replied for them all, bowing a precise millimeter less than
Calixte had.
"My name is Charlemagne Calixte," he said in gravelly tones barely louder than a
whisper. "President-for-Life Duvalier has charged me with seeing to your safety
while you are visiting our island."
"Join us," Tachyon offered, indicating the final empty chair.
Calixte shook his head as precisely as he'd bowed. "Regretfully, Msie Tachyon, I
cannot. I have an important appointment for the afternoon. I just stopped by to
make sure everything is all right after that unfortunate incident in front of
the hotel." As he spoke he looked directly at Chrysalis. "Everything's fine,"
Tachyon assured him before Chrysalis could speak. "What I want to know, though,
is why the Tomtom-"
"Tonton," Ray said.


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Tachyon glanced at him. "Of course. The Tonton whatevers, your men, that is, are
watching us."
Calixte gave him a look of polite astonishment. "Why to protect you from that
very sort of thing that happened earlier this afternoon."
"Protect me? He wasn't protecting me," Chrysalis said. "He was beating beggars."
Calixte stared at her. "They may have looked like beggars, but many undesirable
elements have come into the city." He looked around the almost empty room, then
husked in a barely intelligible whisper, "Communist elements, you know. They are