"064 (B063) - The Submarine Mystery (1938-06) - Lester Dent" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

"Prince Albert," the man said.
"Who do you think you're kiddin'?" Monk demanded.
"I'll bite," the man said. "Brother, when you hear me called anythin' but Prince Albert, I'm your genie."
"My what?"
"Genie. Came with Aladdin's lamp, remember? Just rub me and make a wish."
Monk and Ham exchanged speculative looks, wondering if their new acquaintance was touched in the head.
"Humph!" Monk said.
Prince Albert waved at Monk and Ham. "Take them inside," he said, "and give them the full benefit of our accommodations."
Monk and Ham were carried inside the house and placed in a room which had a low-beamed ceiling. Arrayed around the room were a number of remarkably heavy chairs.
Doc Savage was confined to one of these chairs by stout ankle-and-wrist manacles. The big bronze man looked at them and smiled slightly.
"A labyrinthine imbroglio, as Johnny would say," he remarked.
"That's probably it," Monk said. "The words sound like they would about fit."
Monk and Ham were now manacled to the large chairs. Monk lunged against the fastenings. He could take horseshoes in his two hands and change their shapes. However, the chair was too stout for him.
"Unusual chairs," Doc Savage commented.
Prince Albert waved at the chairs. "Part of our special preparations for you birds."
"Yeah?" Monk scowled.
Prince Albert grinned. "The welcomin' party of fake cops wasn't bad, eitherЧor didn't you think so?"
"Humph!" Monk grunted. "What's the idea?"
"Wanted you out of the way."
Monk peered intently at the man who called himself Prince Albert. "Never saw you before. Never heard of you before, either."
"Have I claimed different?"
"What're you up to?"
"Probably more than you suspect, I hope."
Monk, scowling, said, "You haven't got all our crowd out of the way. There's three others left."
"I know." Prince Albert laughed. "Johnny Littlejohn, the archaeologist, Long Tom Roberts, the electrical wizard, and Renny Renwick, the engineer. But they're in Europe."
Monk grimaced. "You're pretty well posted."
The other nodded.
"Considerin' that we're goin' up against Doc Savage," he said, "it would pay to be posted, don't you think?" He frowned at Doc Savage. "I must say that I'd feel better if he looked more worried."
AT this point, Henry came in from outdoors. Sweat had soaked his clothing, and he held a fist against the left side of his chest and panted heavily.
Prince Albert scowled. "Haven't you caught 'em?"
"Sire, they run like deer!"
"Get back out there," said Prince Albert, "and run like deer yourselves."
The sweating, panting Henry ran out grumbling.
Prince Albert now entered another room, where he changed clothes. He was very careful with the immaculate, expensively tailored garb which he had been wearing, but not so painstaking with what he put on. He donned a suit which looked as if it might have been taken off a not-too-self-respecting tramp.
He went back to the prisoners, seemed worried by Doc Savage's lack of visible concern, and entertained himself examining the labels in Ham's expensive clothing and wrinkling his homely nose scornfully.
"Tenth Avenue hand-me-down stuff," he sneered. "These sack-makers haven't any right to call themselves tailors."
This was probably the one remark that would drive Ham wild. Berate him, slander his character, libel his ancestors, besmirch his associates, and he no more than took offense. But saying a bad word about his clothes was like killing his kid brother.
Ham turned purple, tried to say several things, and succeeded in sounding like a dog caught under a fence.
Henry came back into the room. He was panting harder than ever, and had removed his shirt to sweat more freely.
By one ear, Henry carried Habeas Corpus, the pig.
He puffed, "A rabbit, sireЧcould'st runЧno faster!"
Prince Albert scowled. "What about the ape?"
"Sire, the men have it up a tree."
PRINCE ALBERT walked over and peered at Habeas Corpus. He did not seem reassured.
"Better put that thing in a sack," he ordered. "I can turn it loose when I need to exhibit it as my pet."
This caused Monk to rear up in astonishment.
"Hey!" the homely chemist squawked. "You fixin' to pass as me?"
"Think I'll make it?" Prince Albert asked dryly.
Monk yelled, "What the blazes kind of game are you pullin'?"
"I'll bet you two bits," the homely man said, "that I get away with it."