"077 (B041) - Merchants of Disaster (1939-07) - Harold Davis" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

"Doc Savage speaking," he said. His voice was not loud, but it had a peculiar carrying timbre.



In Washington, the war secretary spoke swiftly. A strange trilling sound filled the office. It came apparently from no one particular place, but from everywhere. It was a sound Doc Savage always made when surprised.



Across the room a giant of a man, with huge, bony monstrosities of fists, stirred himself up in his chair and looked interested.



Colonel John Renwick, known as Renny to his friends, was the only one of Doc's aids in the office with him at the time. Renny was a world-famous engineer, one who took pleasure in his work.



Even better than that work, however, he loved the adventures he encountered with Doc Savage. But he never showed that pleasure. Now, his features drew themselves into stiff, disapproving, puritanical lines.



Doc's trilling sound had been enough to prove that something was up.



The bronze man spoke softly, returned the telephone to his desk.



"Give me just one guess," Renny grumbled. "I'll bet it's about those soldiers who got killed today. We're going to get into something."



Doc nodded. "The army," he said quietly, "has found how those men died."



Renny showed a flicker of interest. The stern lines of his face relaxed a trifle. "And that was - "



"They all suffocated," Doc explained gently. "But not from any gas or any other known cause. The army is sure it was no accident, but deliberate murder."