"Van Lustbader, Eric - Linnear 01 - The Ninja" - читать интересную книгу автора (Van Lustbader Eric)

Goldman was enamored of contrasts. His face was somewhat long, lined, pitted
slightly on the crown of each cheek. It was a proud face, dominated by large
brown eyes, despite the long nose and generous mouth. He wore a blue pinstripe
shirt with solid white collar and a navy and maroon Italian silk tie. He knew
how to dress, Goldman did. Despite this, his sleeves were rolled half way up his
forearms.
Looking at him now, Nicholas abruptly knew why this was going to be so hard for
him to do.
'I'm glad, Sam,' he said.
'Well, sit down, sit down then.' Goldman waved him to a beige suede and chrome
chair in front of his enormous desk.
It was not, perhaps, what he would have chosen himself but all his clients were
happy with it.
'No, I'm fine where I am, thanks.' Now that he was down to it, he realized that
there was just no easy way. 'I'm leaving, Sam.'
'Leaving? What, you want a vacation already? You've only been creative director
for six months -' 'Seven.'
'So who's counting? Anyway, you want a vacation? Okay, you got a vacation.
Where're you going?'
'I don't think you understand, Sam. I want to leave the company. Resign.'
Goldman swivelled around in his chair, stared out of the window. 'You know, it's
going to snow today. On the radio they said no. But I knew better. An old
campaigner can always tell. My feet tell me. Every time I play tennis. I said to
Edna this morning -'
'Sam, did you hear me?' Nicholas said gently. "That Kingsley. What a schmuck! He
may know publishing but he doesn't know shit from advertising. It took him long
enough to come here.' He swivelled back, abruptly. 'You, Nick, you know
advertising.' 'Sam-'
'Resign, Nicky? Resign? What's this resign? I don't believe it. You have
everything here. Everything. You know how much we're gonna net - not gross, mind
you, but net - from this one goddamn campaign of yours?' 'I don't care, Sam.'
'Two hundred fucking thousand, Nick. Now why would you leave?'
'I'm tired, Sam. Honestly. I feel like I've been in advertising so long that
lately - lately, I've been waking up feeling like Count Dracula."
Goldman cocked his head, a non-verbal sign of query. 'You know, like I've been
in a coffin.' 'You're going back to Japan.'
'I hadn't really thought about it.' He was far more pleased than surprised;
Goldman was unusually perceptive about these things. 'I don't know that it
matters.'
'Of course it matters I' Goldman exploded. 'I think about going back to Israel
all the time!'
'You didn't grow up in Israel,' Nicholas countered.
'I would have if it'd've been in existence then.' He snorted. 'But that's
irrelevant.' He waved a hand again. 'History. History is all that matters.' A
call came through for him and he barked at one of the sphinxes outside to jot it
down as a callback. 'Listen, I don't give a good goddamn what we make outa
Kingsley, Nicky, you know that. But it's a sign. Can't you see that? You're hot
now. I felt it was gonna happen a year ago and now I know I was right. You
really want to walk away from that now?'
'I don't think want is the right word,' Nicholas said. 'Have to is more like