"Mack Reynolds - North Africa 03 - The Best Ye Breed" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reynolds Mack)

dodged behind the bole of a large tree, and flattened himself against it.
A voice called, тАЬRoger! Is that you, boy?тАЭ
Paul Kosloff held his breath.
тАЬRoger! What have you got, boy?тАЭ
A few moments later, there was a curse and Paul Kosloff could hear
someone approaching.
The voice was closer this time. тАЬHere boy, here boy. Damn it, what were
you yelping about?тАЭ
As the footsteps came closer, Paul Kosloff slithered around the tree
trunk, keeping it between himself and the other.
Completely on the other side, he bent double once again and headed for
the house and the open door. It was all in the laps of the gods now. Was
there anyone else inside? Behind him, he could still hear the guard, still
calling the Doberman. The fat was going to be in the fire if he discovered
the unconscious watchdog.
Paul Kosloff hurried into the interior of the large house and found
himself in a small guardroom, furnished only with a single table and two
chairs. On the walls were flac rifles, shotguns and laser beam pistols.
There was another door at the far side of the room. He got through it in
a hurry and closed it behind him before speeding down the dimly lit hall
beyond. Given luck, he wouldnтАЩt run into any servants. Not at this time of
the night. It was past two oтАЩclock.
He came to a small elevator and looked at it for a moment, but then
shook his head. The man he was seeking was noted as a nut on burglar
alarms and related devices. He might even have something like an elevator
rigged.
He found a flight of narrow circling stairs slightly beyond. A servant
stairway by the looks of it. He started up. His destination was on the third
floor. He wondered if there were any more guards.
At the third floor, he peered cautiously down the ornate hallway. And,
yes, there was a guard before the door that was his goal.
The otherтАЩs back was turned. Paul Kosloff took a desperate chance and
sped across the heavily carpeted hall to the room opposite. The chance
paid off. The door was unlocked. He entered the room beyond quickly,
closed the door behind him.
He fumbled at the wall for a light switch and found it. The plans of the
mansion he had studied had been correct. It was a billiards room, the
table in the exact center. He strode over to it, took up the eight ball and
then returned to the door and flicked off the light.
He had to gamble now that the guardтАЩs back was still turned. If it
wasnтАЩt, heтАЩd had it. He opened the door a narrow crack and rolled the ball
toward the circular staircase. It began to bounce down the stairs, at first
slowly, then faster. It didnтАЩt sound much like footsteps to him, but it would
have to do.
He kept the door open, the slightest crack, and watched as the guard
came hurrying up and hesitated, looking down the stairwell. The ball was
well along by now and going faster. At this distance it sounded more like a
person descending as fast as possible.
The guard suddenly flicked his hand inside his coat to emerge with a
laser pistol, and began hurrying down.