"Alastair Reynolds - Century Rain" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reynolds Alastair)

Floyd saw Custine draw in a sharp breath and place his hands protectively on the double bass. тАЬYou
canтАЩt take it apart,тАЭ Custine said incredulously. тАЬItтАЩs an instrument. It doesnтАЩt come apart.тАЭ

тАЬIn my experience,тАЭ the inspector said, тАЬeverything comes apart in the end.тАЭ

тАЬEasy,тАЭ Floyd said. тАЬLet them have it. ItтАЩs just a piece of wood.тАЭ

тАЬListen to your friend,тАЭ the guard suggested. тАЬHe talks good sense, especially for an American.тАЭ

тАЬTake your hands from the instrument, please,тАЭ the inspector said.

Custine wasnтАЩt going to do it. Floyd couldnтАЩt blame him, not really. The double bass was the most
expensive item Floyd owned, including the Mathis Emyquatre. Short of another investigation dropping
into their laps, it was also about the only thing standing between them and penury.

тАЬLet go,тАЭ Floyd mouthed. тАЬNot worth it.тАЭ

The inspector and Custine began to struggle over the instrument. Drawn by the commotion, the guard
with the machine gun who had stopped them originally left his post and began to saunter over to the
action. The double bass was now off the table and the two men were yanking it backwards and forwards
violently.

The guard with the gun slipped off its safety catch. The struggle intensified, Floyd fearing that the
double bass was about to snap in two as the men wrestled with it. Then CustineтАЩs opponent gained the
upper hand and pulled the instrument out of CustineтАЩs grasp. For a moment, the inspector froze, and then
in a single fluid movement threw the double bass over the low wall on the other side of the examination
table. Time dragged: it seemed an eternity before Floyd heard the awful splintering as the double bass
hit the cobbled dock below. Custine sagged back into the chair next to the examination table.

Floyd spat out his toothpick, grinding it underfoot like a spent cigarette. He walked slowly to the wall
and peered down to inspect the damage. It was ten, twelve metres to the cobbled quay. The bassтАЩs neck
was broken in two, the body smashed into myriad jagged pieces radiating away from the point of impact.

A scuffing of booted feet drew FloydтАЩs attention to his right. The second guard was on his way down to
the quay, descending a stone staircase jutting out from the wall. Hearing a moaning sound to his left,
Floyd glanced over to see Custine looking over the parapet. His eyes were wide and white as eggs, his
pupils shrunken to shocked dots. Eventually his moaning formed into coherent sounds.

тАЬNo. No. No.тАЭ

тАЬItтАЩs done,тАЭ Floyd said. тАЬAnd the sooner we get out of here, the better off weтАЩll be.тАЭ


file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Alastair%20Reynolds%20-%20Century%20Rain.html (11 of 556)22-12-2006 17:44:18
 CenturyRain



тАЬYou destroyed history!тАЭ Custine shouted at the inspector. тАЬThat was SoudieuxтАЩs double bass! Django
Reinhardt touched that wood!тАЭ