"Derek Paterson - The Kaiserine's Champion" - читать интересную книгу автора (Paterson Derek)

He nodded, but asked no other questions.

"Well, Herr Doctor? Was I right?тАЭ Otto Thenck said. He'd been watching from another doorway. He
 entered the laboratory and moved to join Schmidt.

"Indeed you were,тАЭ Schmidt said. тАЬThe wounds show up clearly under the lamplight. But how did you
know, Herr Thenck?"

Thenck didn't answer. Instead he asked me, тАЬDo you remember how and when it happened?"

"I was wounded in Moskovia,тАЭ I said, not at all sure what he was referring to.

Thenck looked at Schmidt, who said, тАЬOnce again we find that the victim remembers nothing of the
incident. The filth are indeed skillful in masking their activities.тАЭ He pursed his lips. тАЬThe elixir will restore
his lost memories. I see no reason why we should not proceed at once."

"Neither do I,тАЭ Thenck said. тАЬGo ahead, Herr Doctor."

Lost memories? What were they talking about? Schmidt picked up a stoppered glass bottle. He held it
up to the light and shook it experimentally. Then he uncorked the bottle and turned to face me again.

"Stick out your tongue,тАЭ he ordered.

I hesitated, suspicious. Schmidt shook his head in obvious irritation. тАЬThere is nothing to fear. This will
allow you to recall the memories that were deliberately hidden by the vampyre filth that drank your
blood."

"Drank myтАФ? Are you insane?тАЭ The absurdity of his statement confused and angered me. Vampyres
were mere creatures of legend. Mothers threatened unruly children that they'd be snatched from their
beds by vampyres if they were naughty. Did Schmidt really expect me to believe such nonsense?

And yetтАФ

And yet there had been stories. I'd heard soldiers who'd served with General Beethoven's 5th Army in
Transylvania speak of what they'd encountered in that dark, remote place. Of undead rising out of the
ground. Of flying things in the night.

I shook my head. How could any intelligent man be expected to accept such fiction?

"Do as Doctor Schmidt says, Herr Manfred,тАЭ Thenck ordered in his soft, infinitely dangerous voice. He
reminded me that this had nothing to do with fairy tales. The thought of a noose tightening about my neck
made me open my mouth and stick my tongue out.

Slowly, carefully, Schmidt tilted the bottle until a single drop of green liquid left the neck and fell onto my
tongueтАФ

An avalanche of memories.

We'd met aboard the overnight coach traveling from Guttzeig to High Sazburg. After the first few stops
at various mountain villages, we had the coach all to ourselves. It was a long trip and, as people do, we