"Paul Preuss - Secret Passages" - читать интересную книгу автора (Preuss Paul)

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Paul Preuss
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 1
A
t the edge of a high terrace, under a grape arbor supported on slender columns, two
men sat watching the autumn twilight. Below them the lights of Athens rippled in
the thick-ening haze; the shadow of the Acropolis rose like a stone ship on a
phosphorescent sea.

тАЬThe fellow was competent enough, occasionally creative,тАЭ said the taller man.
Manolis Minakis poured brandy into bal-loon glasses and slid one across the marble
tabletop. тАЬIt wasnтАЩt a complete waste of time.тАЭ

тАЬYou said the same thing about Ostrovsky when you gave him the sack.тАЭ
Richard Wingate was small and neat, with man-icured nails and graying hair trimmed
close to the skull.

тАЬBloodless characters, with passion only for their next pub-lications,тАЭ Minakis
replied.

тАЬAmbitious youngsters, rather, not religious acolytes. And they agreed to help
you, despite the absurdly remote location and your insistence on secrecy.тАЭ

Minakis raised his glassтАФтАЭYeia sas, RichardтАЭтАФand leaned back comfortably,
his blue cotton sweater draped loosely over his shoulders. тАЬItтАЩs good of you to
defend them. And they did teach me an important lesson.тАЭ

тАЬWhich is?тАЭ

тАЬThat I need something more than a bright young experi-mentalist.тАЭ

WingateтАЩs laugh was dry. тАЬYou need a disciple.тАЭ

Minakis did not reply, but studied the purpling sky through the curve of his
glass. Behind him, over the tile roof, a pale glow in the sky announced a fat moon
rising.тАЩ

тАЬWhoтАЩs the next candidate?тАЭ Wingate busied himself light-ing a thin black
cigar with a cylindrical brass lighter. тАЬIтАЩm sure you have someone in mind.тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩm thinking of Peter Slater. Presently in Hawaii.тАЭ

тАЬSlater. Really.тАЭ Wingate blew a thin stream of smoke. тАЬHow do you propose
to lure him away from his comfortable position to follow you into the desert?тАЭ
 Minakis grinned, baring white teeth under a broad gray mus-tache. тАЬThere ate
signs that, like Saul on the road to Damascus, Peter Slater has recently undergone a