"Jonathan Stroud - Bartimaeus 2 - The Golem's Eye" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stroud Jonathan)

his eyes wearily and glanced at his watch. Only nine forty-five. Already it had been a long day.

A teetering pile of papers on his desk awaited his attention. He took a deep breath, adjusted his
cuffs and reached out for the topmost file.



For reasons of his own, Nathaniel had long been interested in Internal Affairs, a subdepartment
of the sprawling Security apparatus headed by Jessica Whitwell. Internal Affairs conducted
investigations into various kinds of criminal activity, notably foreign insurgency and domestic terrorism
directed against the State. When he first joined the department, Nathaniel had merely undertaken
humble activities such as filing, photocopying, and tea-making. But he did not carry out these tasks for
long.

His rapid promotion was not (as his enemies whispered) simply the product of raw nepotism. It
was true that he benefited from the goodwill of the Prime Minister and from the long reach of his
master, Ms. Whitwell, whom none of the magicians in Internal Affairs wanted to displease. Yet this
would have availed him nothing if he had been incompetent or merely average in his craft. But
Nathaniel was gifted, and more than that, he worked hard. His elevation was swift. Within months he
had maneuvered his way through a succession of humdrum clerical jobs, untilтАФnot yet fifteenтАФhe
had become assistant to the Internal Affairs Minister himself, Mr. Julius Tallow.

A short, burly man of bullish build and temperament, Mr. Tallow was abrupt and abrasive at the
best of times, and inclined to sudden outbursts of incandescent rage, which sent his minions scurrying
for cover. Aside from his temper, he was additionally distinguished by an unusual yellowish
complexion, bright as daffodils at noonday. It was not known among his staff what had caused this
affliction; some claimed it was hereditary, that he was the offspring of a union between magician and
succubus. Others rejected this on biological grounds, and suspected he was the victim of malignant
magic. Nathaniel subscribed to the latter view. Whatever the cause, Mr. Tallow concealed his
problem as best he could. His collars were high, his hair hung long. He wore a broad-brimmed hat at
all times and kept a keen ear open for levity on the subject among his staff.

Eighteen people worked in the office with Nathaniel and Mr. Tallow; they ranged from two
commoners, who performed administrative duties that did not impinge on magical matters, to Mr.
Ffoukes, a magician of the fourth level. Nathaniel adopted a policy of bland politeness to everyone,
with the single exception of Clive Jenkins, the secretary. Jenkins's resentment of his youth and
standing had been clear from the outset; in turn, Nathaniel treated him with a cheery impudence. It
was perfectly safe to do so. Jenkins had neither connections nor ability.



Mr. Tallow had soon realized the extent of his assistant's talents, and directed him to an
important and taxing task: the pursuit of the shadowy group known as the Resistance.

The motives of these zealots were transparent, if bizarre. They were opposed to the benevolent
leadership of the magicians and eager to return to the anarchy of Commoners' Rule. Over the years,
their activities had become increasingly annoying. They stole magical artifacts of all descriptions from
careless or unlucky magicians, and later used them in random assaults on government persons and
property. Several buildings had been badly affected, and a number of people killed. In the most
audacious attack of all, the Resistance had even attempted to assassinate the Prime Minister. The