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

busy as inтАжтАЭ Martinez stopped suddenly next to one of the piles of boxes,
placed his glasses back on the ridge of his nose, and scuffed dust from the
paper label on the side of the box nearest his face. тАЬNo,тАЭ he said, shaking
his head. тАЬWrong place. Wrong damned place! Norbert!тАЭ

Norbert trudged along behind us, my sodden coat still draped over
one of his enormous, trunklike arms. тАЬMr. Martinez?тАЭ

тАЬThis one is in the wrong place.тАЭ The smaller man turned around and
indicated a spot between two other boxes, on the other side of the corridor.
тАЬIt goes here. It needs to be moved. KesslerтАЩs case is moving into court
next month, and we donтАЩt want any trouble with missing documentation.тАЭ

тАЬAttend to it,тАЭ Norbert said, which sounded like an order but which I
assumed was his way of saying heтАЩd remember to move the box when he
was done with my laundry.

тАЬKessler?тАЭ I asked, when Norbert had left. тАЬAs in Tillman Kessler, the
NC interrogator?тАЭ

тАЬOne and the same, yes. Did you have experience with him?тАЭ

тАЬI wouldnтАЩt be standing here if I did.тАЭ

тАЬTrue enough. But a small number of people were fortunate enough
to survive their encounters with Kessler. ItтАЩs their testimonies that will help
bring him to justice.тАЭ
 тАЬBy which you mean crucified.тАЭ

тАЬI detect faint disapproval, Dexia,тАЭ Martinez said.

тАЬYouтАЩre right. ItтАЩs barbaric.тАЭ

тАЬItтАЩs how weтАЩve always done things. The Haussmann way, if you like.тАЭ

Sky Haussmann: the man who gave this world its name, and who
sparked off the 250-year war weтАЩve only just learned to stop fighting. When
they crucified Sky they thought they were putting an early end to the
violence. They couldnтАЩt have been more wrong. Ever since then, crucifixion
is the way executions happen.

тАЬIs Kessler the reason you asked me here, sir? Were you expecting
me to add to the case file against him?тАЭ

Martinez paused at a heavy wooden door.

тАЬNot Kessler, no. IтАЩve every expectation to see him nailed to
Bridgetop by the end of the year. But it does concern the man for whom
Kessler was an instrument.тАЭ