"Kristine Kathryn Rusch - The Room of Lost Souls" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rusch Kristine Kathryn)

ThatтАЩs fair. Half would provide me a berth at Longbow and all of my
expenses for the rest of my life. IтАЩd never have to touch the rest of my
money, the stuff I earned these past few years.

тАЬHalf up front,тАЭ I say, agreeing, тАЬand half when I recover himтАФonly if
you pay all expenses for the entire investigation and journey.тАЭ

тАЬInvestigation?тАЭ She frowns, as if she doesnтАЩt like the word.

I nod. тАЬBefore I go after him, I need to know who he is.тАЭ

тАЬI told youтАФтАЭ

тАЬI need to know him, not his reputation.тАЭ

Her frown grows. тАЬWhy?тАЭ

тАЬBecause,тАЭ I say, тАЬin all the hundreds of theories about that Room,
only one addresses the souls trapped inside.тАЭ

тАЬSo?тАЭ

тАЬSo havenтАЩt you wondered how a man like your father got lost in
there?тАЭ

I can tell from her expression that she hasnтАЩt considered that at all.

тАЬOr why the name of the placeтАФin all known languagesтАФis the Room
of Lost Souls. Are the souls lost because they entered? Or were they lost
before they opened the door?тАЭ

She shifts slightly in her chair. She doesnтАЩt like what IтАЩm saying.

тАЬYouтАЩve thought of this before,тАЭ she says.

тАЬOf course I have.тАЭ I keep my voice down.
 She nods. тАЬYou think he was lost before he went in?тАЭ

тАЬI have no idea,тАЭ I say, тАЬbut I plan to find out.тАЭ

****

By the time I arrive at my berth, the money is in my account. That
surprises me. I thought, after our conversation, that Riya would back out.
She doesnтАЩt want to know her father as a human being. She wants only the
image of him that she built up through her lonely childhood. The war hero
who vanished. The strong man who got trapped.

Not a sad survivor who might have gotten lost long before he opened