"Eric Nylund - Paladin Blake and The Secret City" - читать интересную книгу автора (Nylund Eric)

"You want to tell me about Flora?"

"I guess we really don't have anything to talk about but her." He slumped into his chair. His
eyes met Paladin's for a second; he opened his mouth to say something, hesitated, then
blinked and looked away.

"Flora?"

"Yeah, Flora. You know she's always been in trouble-not the kind of trouble you and I get
into, but booze and men and all that high society stuff." Matthew poured himself another
shot. "Well, I guess it's not so bad when you stop to think about it."

"Uh huh," Paladin remarked.

Matthew was wrong. Flora had not always been trouble. Once, she had been enrolled at
Smith College with plans to go on to law school. Then their father had died and nothing
mattered to her, except trying to forget. She wrapped herself in vice and extravagance.
Liquor and men were just a start. She often indulged in things much more
"sophisticated"...and much more unsavory.

But Flora was always everyone's darling. She entered the room and instantly became the
center of attention. Everyone loved her. They couldn't help it, not even Paladin.

"This time," Matthew whispered, "she's in real trouble, little brother...I mean, she's in way
over her head. She got mixed up with a New Orleans crowd."

"Last I heard she was in Paris."

Matthew snorted a laugh. "A year ago. She's spent time in London since then, and South
Africa. I got a postcard from her last week to meet her for Mardi Gras."

Paladin winced. The only time Flora ever contacted him was when she needed cash. "And?
You saw her?"

"Kind of." Matthew gazed into his glass. "She said she could only get away for an hour. She
looked scared. And not for her...for me."

Matthew furrowed his brow, struggling to find the right words. "I followed her after she left
and got a glimpse of her new friends. I asked the locals a few questions about them. I had
to get rough before they coughed up what they knew.

"These friends of hers have money and hired muscle. Their kind buy and sell things, doesn't
matter from where or from who. Guns, booze, narcotics-" Matthew paused, then added,
"Well, you name it and they can get it for a price."

A smuggling outfit? Paladin could see why Flora would be with that crowd. Exotic delicacies
and fast times would, for her, outweigh the danger involved.

"They call themselves 'Derpsins,' or 'Diespines'-something like that," Matthew said. "Thing
is, when Flora's ready to move on, I don't think these people will let her go. She knows too