"Robert Rankin - Brentford 05 - The Brentford Chainstore Mas" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rankin Robert)

exact facsimile of the human form, though far smaller and subject to an entirely different set of laws and
principles. Now, fairies are notoriously mischievous, are they not?'
'So I've heard it said.' Old Pete swallowed rum.
'And this is because they are the earthbound souls of folk who were neither good enough to go to heaven
nor bad enough to go to the other place.' Omally crossed himself. 'The mirthmakers, the folk who could
never take life seriously.'
'Folk such as yourself,' Old Pete suggested.
Omally ignored him. "Why do you think it is', he asked, 'that only certain folk are able to see the fairies?'
'Several answers spring immediately to mind,' said Old Pete. 'It might be that there aren't too many fairies
about. Or that they employ an advanced form of camouflage. Or that they are for the most part invisible. Or,
most likely, that those who claim to see them are in fact mentally disturbed.'
 Omally shook his head. 'It's down to susceptibility,' he said. 'Psychically speaking, of course.'
'Oh, of course.' Old Pete rolled his eyes.
'To perceive the faerie folk requires a certain type of mentality.'
'I think I gave that as one of my answers.'
'Hence the Irish.'
'Hence the Irish what? Or was that another figure of speech?'
'The greatest proliferation of faerie lore and belief
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in the entire world, Ireland. And you will admit that the Irish mentality differs somewhat from the
accepted norm.'
Willingly,' said Old Pete. 'Of course, your theory might gain greater credibility were you able to offer me
some convincing account of an encounter you yourself have personally had with the faerie folk.'
Omally grinned. Well, I couldn't do that now, could I?'
'Could you not? Well, that is a surprise.'
'Because', said John, 'the kind of mentality required to understand the whys and wherefores of the faerie
folk is not the kind suited to their actual observation. I am too sophisticated, more's the pity. A simple mind
is required. A child-like mind.'
'Hm,' said Old Pete, regarding his now empty glass.
'So tell me, Pete,' said Omally, 'have you ever seen a fairy?'
Old Pete peered over his glass at Omally's tweedy form. Throughout the conversation he had watched
the ring of hobgoblins that encircled the Irishman's head, the bogles and boggarts that skipped to and fro
around his feet singing songs about shoemending, the fat elf that sat upon his shoulder and the unruly
pixie that nestled in his turn-up.
'Leave it out,' said Old Pete. There ain't no such things as fairies.'
And they all lived happily ever after.




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1
If you ever had to describe Dr Steven Malone to someone who'd never met him, all you'd have to say was,
'He's the bloke who looks like Sherlock Holmes in the Sidney Paget drawings.' Of course, there will
always be some people who will immediately say Sidney who? And there may even be a few who will say
Sherlock who? And you can bet your life that there's a whole lot of others who will say Doctor Who. But
to them you need only say Doctor Steven Malone. (Eh?)
It wasn't a curse to look like a Sidney Paget drawing of Sherlock Holmes, even if it did mean you were
only in black and white and spent most of your life in profile, pointing at something off the page. It had