"Jonathan Stroud - Bartimaeus 3 - Ptolemy's Gate" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stroud Jonathan)

Time passed, dawn came. The cold stars faded in the sky.




2
As had become his custom in recent months, the great magician John Mandrake took his
breakfast in his parlor, seated in the wicker chair beside the window. The heavy curtains had
been carelessly drawn back; the sky beyond was gray and leaden and a sinewy mist threaded
its way between the trees of the square.

The small circular table before him was carved from Lebanese cedar. When warmed by sunlight,
it gave off a pleasant fragrance, but on this particular morning the wood was dark and cold.
Mandrake poured coffee into his glass, removed the silver cover from his plate, and set upon his
curried eggs and bacon. In a rack behind the toast and the gooseberry conserve sat a crisply
folded newspaper and an envelope with a blood-red seal. Mandrake took a swig of coffee with
his left hand; with his right he flicked the newspaper open on the table. He glanced at the front
page, grunted dismissively, and reached for the envelope. An ivory paperknife hung from a peg
upon the rack; flinging down his fork, Mandrake slit the envelope with one easy motion and
drew out a folded parchment. He read this with care, brows puckering into a frown. Then he
refolded it, stuffed it back into the envelope, and with a sigh returned to his meal.

A knock at the door; with mouth half full of bacon, Mandrake gave a muffled command. The
door opened silently and a young, slim woman stepped diffidently through, a briefcase in her
hand.

She halted. "I'm sorry, sir," she began. "Am I too early?"

"Not at all, Piper, not at all." He waved her over, indicated a chair on the other side of his
breakfast table. "Have you eaten?"

"Yes, sir." She sat. She wore a dark blue skirt and jacket with a crisp white shirt. Her straight
brown hair was scraped away from her forehead and clipped at the back of her head. She
settled the briefcase on her lap.


file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Jonathan%20Stroud%20-%20Bartimaeus%203%20-%20Ptolemy's%20Gate%20(v1.0).htm (13 of 304)22-12-2006 15:56:56
 Jonathan Stroud - Bartimaeus 3 - Ptolemy's Gate



Mandrake speared a forkful of curried egg. "Forgive me if I keep eating," he said. "I was up until
three, responding to the latest disturbance. Kent, this time."

Ms. Piper nodded. "I heard, sir. There was a memo at the ministry. Was it contained?"

"Yes; as far as my globe could tell, at any rate. I sent a few demons down. Well, we shall see
presently. What have you got for me today?"

She undipped the briefcase and drew out some papers. "A number of proposals from the junior