"Alastair Reynolds - Nightingale" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reynolds Alastair)

тАЬIтАЩm here to see Martinez.тАЭ

тАЬMr. Martinez to you,тАЭ he said.

тАЬWhatever. But IтАЩm still here to see him, and he should be expecting
me. IтАЩmтАжтАЭ

тАЬDexia Scarrow,тАЭ called another voiceтАФfractionally more welcoming,
this timeтАФand a smaller, older man bustled into view from behind the pillar
of muscle blocking the door, snatching delicate pince-nez glasses from his
nose. тАЬLet her in, Norbert. SheтАЩs expected. Just a little late.тАЭ

тАЬI got held up around ArmestoтАФmy hired wheeler hit a pothole and
tipped over. CouldnтАЩt get the thing started again, so had toтАжтАЭ

The smaller man waved aside my excuse. тАЬYouтАЩre here now, which is
all that matters. IтАЩll have Norbert dry your clothes, if you wish.тАЭ

I peeled off my coat. тАЬMaybe this.тАЭ

тАЬNorbert will attend to your galoshes as well. Would you care for
something to drink? I have tea already prepared, but if you would rather
something elseтАжтАЭ

тАЬTea will be fine, Mr. Martinez,тАЭ I said.

тАЬPlease. Call me Tomas. ItтАЩs my sincere wish that we will work
together as friends.тАЭ

I stood out of my galoshes and handed my dripping wet coat to the
big man. Martinez nodded once, the gesture precise and birdlike, and then
ushered me to follow him farther into his rooms. He was slighter and older
than IтАЩd been expecting, although still recognizable as the man in the
photographs. His hair was grey turning to white, thinning on his scalp and
shaved close to the skin elsewhere on his head. He wore a grey waistcoat
over a grey shirt, the ensemble lending him a drab, clerkish air.

We navigated a twisting labyrinth formed from four layers of brown
boxes, piled to head height. тАЬExcuse the mess,тАЭ Martinez said, looking
back at me over his shoulder. тАЬI really should find a better solution to my
filing problems, but thereтАЩs always something more pressing that needs
doing instead.тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩm surprised you have time to eat, let alone worry about filing
problems.тАЭ

тАЬWell, things havenтАЩt been as hectic lately, I must confess. If youтАЩve
been following the news youтАЩll know that IтАЩve already caught most of my big
fish. ThereтАЩs been some mopping up to do, but IтАЩve been nowhere near as