"Charles Stross - Trunk and Disorderly" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stross Charles)

curtains right off the rail and swiped them across my assailantтАЩs tusks.

The next minute remains, mercifully, a confused blur. Somehow my
butler and I mammoth-handled the kicking and strugglingтАФnot to mention
squealing and secretingтАФJeremy up the rear staircase and into the second
best guest suiteтАЩs dungeon. Miss Feng braced herself against the door
while I rushed dizzily to the parlor and returned with a tube of InstaSteel
Bulkhead Bond, with which we reinforced the stout oak partition. Finally my
stomach rebelled, quite outraged by the combination of sober-up and
adrenaline, at which point Miss Feng diffidently suggested I proceed to the
master bathroom and freshen up while she dealt with the porch, the
pachyderm, and my suit in descending order of priorities.
 By the time IтАЩd cleaned up, Miss Feng had laid a freshly manufactured
suit for me on the dresser. тАЬI took the liberty of arranging for a limousine to
your club, sir,тАЭ she said, almost apologetically. тАЬIt is approaching eighteen
oтАЩclock: one wouldnтАЩt want to be late.тАЭ

тАЬEighteenтАФтАЭ I blinked. тАЬOh dear, thatтАЩs dashed awkward.тАЭ

тАЬIndeed.тАЭ She watched me cautiously. тАЬAh, about the agencyтАФтАЭ

I waved my hand dismissively. тАЬIf you can handle Jeremy I see no
reason why you couldnтАЩt also handle great-uncle Arnold when he gets back
from Proxima Tau Herpes or wherever heтАЩs gone. Not to mention the Dread
Aunts, bless тАШem. Assuming, that is, you want the jobтАФтАЭ

Miss Feng inclined her head. тАЬCertainly one is prepared to assume
the role for the duration of the probationary period.тАЭ Sotto voce she added,
almost too quietly for me to catch: тАЬalthough continuing thereafter
presupposed that one or both of us survives the experience....тАЭ

тАЬWell, IтАЩm glad thatтАЩs sorted.тАЭ I sniffed. тАЬIтАЩd better trot! If you could
see the snooker table goes for repair and look to the curtains, IтАЩll be off,
what-what?тАЭ

тАЬIndeed sir.тАЭ She nodded as if about to say something else, thought
better of it, and then held the door open for me. тАЬGood night, sir.тАЭ

****

3. The Dangerous Drop Club

I spent the evening at the Dangerous Drop Club, tackling a rather
different variety of dangerous drop from the one IтАЩd be confronting on the
morrow. I knew perfectly well at the time that this was stupid (not to mention
rash to the point of inviting the attention of the Dread Aunts, those intellects
vast and cool and unsympathetic), but I confess I was so rattled by the
combination of LauraтАЩs departure, my new butlerтАЩs arrival, and the presence
of the horrible beast in room two that for the life of me I simply couldnтАЩt
bring myself to engage in any activity more constructive than killing my own