"Kenneth Robeson - Doc Savage 104 - Birds of Death" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

not twenty dollars. A pair of knife scabbards, one on each man, was a different matter. Benjamin Boot
withdrew the long steel blades which these held and tested their edges admiringly with his thumb. He
flipped the blades away and they stuck in the hard oak paneling. It was rather expert flipping.

"Nothing to identify them," he remarked. "What an excellent pair of unidentified corpses they would
make!"

Julian, the manservant, looked frightened. "The police, sir, have so many ways of doing things," he said.
"It might be of danger toтАФahтАФ"

"I contemplate no violence, Julian."

"I am glad, sir." The servant was relieved.

They tied Mr. Manley and Abner. The manservant did the preliminary placing of the ropes, but Benjamin
Boot tied the actual knots. He did an excellent job.

Benjamin Boot walked to a window, stood there rubbing his jaw and contemplating the park. Behind
him, Elmo the canary twittered in his cage, to which he had been returned. Suddenly Benjamin Boot
whirled.

He said, "Julian, are you sure you donтАЩt know why these men approached you with their silly scheme for
getting into my apartment?"

"I have no idea," insisted Julian.

"ItтАЩs a confounded mystery, then!" snapped Boot.

"Yes, sir."

"The dangerous part of it is," said Boot, "that the mystery involves Miss Moldenhaeur and her father, it
would seem."

"Yes, sir."

"IтАЩve got to get at the bottom of the thing, Julian. I didnтАЩt sleep at all last night, wondering about it. I canтАЩt
have that. IтАЩve got to have my sleep. To say nothing of the fact that IтАЩm in love with Miss Moldenhaeur."

Julian ventured, "Begging your pardon, sir, but I do not think Miss Moldenhaeur is aware of your deep
affection. Perhaps if you made some slight move toward letting her knowтАФ"

Benjamin Boot shook his head vehemently. "Nothing doing. I told a young woman I loved her once. She
looked at my face, and didnтАЩt stop laughing for a week."

"IтАЩm sorry, sir," said Julian.

"I was sorry, too," said Boot. "I also ruined the laughter-filled young ladyтАЩs father in a business deal, and
the laughing damsel had to become a waitress in a greasy-spoon restaurant. I was sorry I did that, too. I
was sorry all around. IтАЩm always the one who is sorry. I was a baby lying in my cradle when I started
being sorry about being born so homely."