"Kenneth Robeson - Doc Savage 097 - The All-White Elf" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

piercing black demons that roosted back in the caverns under the black caterpillars that were his
eyebrows.

He could have played the lead in a horror picture without much make-up.

Smitty met him in front of a house. The two turned, sauntered idly to a tobacco store a few yards away,
where they bought cigars. Then they returned to the house, and entered.

The pair had seemed well known in the store, so Haatz entered and made a check.

He bought a cigar. "Thought I knew those fellows who were just in here," he said. "HavenтАЩt seen either
one of them for years, so I was a little bashful about walking up to them. It always embarrasses me to
make mistakes in identity." He looked at the clerk. "Happen to know them?"

"Oh, sure," said the unsuspicious clerk. "The tall one, the skinny one in the dark suit, is called Smitty. I
never heard him called anything else."

Haatz was a little surprised that Smitty had given his right name.

"ItтАЩs the other one I was really interested in," Haatz said. "You see, if heтАЩs the man I think he is, he was
blind when I knew him."

"HeтАЩs the man you think he is, mister," the clerk said. "Milan Zinn used to be blind."

Haatz masked his excitement.

"Then that cadaverous man in the loud clothes is Milan Zinn?" he asked.

"Sure. Known him for years."

Haatz hesitated, then leaned over the counter. "What do you know about his character?" he asked. "He
looks like a sinister master mind out of some bloodcurdling thriller. Is he that type?"

The clerk scowled. "Thought you knew him, mister," he said suspiciously.

Haatz straightened up. He shrugged. "Skip it," he said. He smiled at the clerk. He did not want to attract
notice to himself by arguing with the fellow. "You see, I was just wondering what kind of a guy old Zinn
turned out to be after he was no longer blind."

"Oh, I get it." The clerk moved his shoulders. "I couldnтАЩt tell you, mister. I donтАЩt know a thing about him
except that heтАЩs been living in this neighborhood for years, and he always comes in and buys a Fantesto
fifteen-cent cigar at this time every evening. Always says the same thing to me, too. HeтАЩll walk in, and
heтАЩll say, тАШWhatтАЩs good news today?тАЩ He always says that."

"Thanks," Haatz said. "I guess IтАЩll look him up." He hesitated, then turned and left the cigar store.

THE cigar-store clerk stepped from behind his counter and went to the door, where he watched Arnold
Haatz going down the street. Haatz was not heading toward Milan ZinnтАЩs home. The clerkтАЩs suspicions
were aroused. They were not quieted at all when he saw Haatz begin running from the vicinity.