"Kenneth Robeson - Doc Savage 151 - Terror Takes 7" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

Ham grinned. тАЬI think he's going to run us both off anyway if his temper keeps getting worse. What have
you got to lose?тАЭ

тАЬI'll take a chance,тАЭ Monk decided.

He went into the laboratory carrying the package, explaining, тАЬThis thing came by express, Doc.тАЭ

The laboratory, which occupied most of the eighty-sixth floor of the building, had been temporarily
crammed with air-compressors, wind tunnels and compression chambers. The current research job,
which Doc Savage was doing for an aircraft manufacturer, concerned the behavior of air when it went
past the so-called compressibility limit. The research covered a field of hitherto unknown phenomena, for
it had only lately been discovered that when an airplane starts traveling faster than sound, mysterious and
unorthodox things happen to it.

Doc Savage was aggravated about the whole thing. It had been dumped in his lap after everyone else
was stumped, handed to him along with a lovely speech how he was probably the world's greatest
research scientist, that since his abilities covered a number of fields in addition of a├лrodynamics, he was
the man most apt to strike a solution. This he didn't mind; it had been a lovely speech.

What he did mind was a story he'd heard, going the rounds of aviation engineering circles, to the effect
that Doc Savage had the thing in the bag. He didn't have it in the bag; it had him in the bag. He wasn't
sure who had started the story, but he suspected the plane manufacturer was using his reputation to scare
a competitor. He didn't like that. This was supposed to be for the Army; he wasn't getting a commercial
fee.

His mood was acid. When Monk unwrapped the package and Doc saw what was inside, he said several
things, using plain words, about not being bothered again.

Monk retreated in red-eared haste, carrying the thing that had been in the package.

тАЬI was spoken unkindly to,тАЭ he reported to Ham.

Ham chuckled. тАЬI heard.тАЭ

тАЬI guess he thought somebody was ribbing him when he saw what was in the package.тАЭ

тАЬWhat was it?тАЭ

тАЬI'd call it part of a Daniel Boone outfit,тАЭ Monk decided. тАЬA flintlock rifle and a pair of buckskin leggings.
Here, take a look.тАЭ

The rifle was dilapidated and useless-looking under a coating of rust. It was over six feet long. The
buckskin leggings were in somewhat the same condition.

тАЬWhy would anybody send us that stuff?тАЭ Ham wished to know.

The name of the sender was on the pigskin-colored paper wrapper:

P. ARGUS