"Alan Williams - Holy of Holies" - читать интересную книгу автора (Williams Alan)

of country you'll be flying over. The second is if you get caught - and again
that depends where it is. You might face a firing-squad, thirty years in jail,
or just get your gonads chopped off. Otherwise, as long as you don't mind
being cashiered, like your friend Thurgood, you can always disappear with your
little Swiss nest-egg and live happily ever after.'

When he finished speaking, he saw that Mason was sweating slightly.

'I'm sorry, Charles, but I'm in a blue funk. That's why I had to come round to
see you.'

'You didn't have to leave them my telephone number,' Rawcliff said, without
rancour: 'You could have waited for them to ring you in a pub or a
restaurant.'

'Yes I know. That was right out of court, I'm afraid. The truth is, I've got
the wind up. I didn't tell you, but on that second evening, while Ritchie was
calling me a taxi, Newby took me aside and told me to keep my mouth shut.
Well, he was a bit more polite than that, but I just didn't like the way he
said it. I got a funny feeling that I was committed, and if I said no, they
wouldn't let me off the hook so easily.'

'There's not much they can do to you - and you've got the whole Royal Air
Force to protect you, for Christ's sake.'

Mason raised his eyes to him, full of that .painful innocence. 'That's just
the point. Newby's parting words were to say that my superiors wouldn't take
too kindly to one of their men considering such an offer. He said it was
hardly in my terms of contract, then he gave me a nasty little smile.'

'I see,' said Rawcliff. 'Either accept their terms, or wait for Messrs Newby
and Co. to poison your record? Come on, Terry, let's get something to eat, and
then you can make that telephone call again.'

'Remember,' Rawcliff said, 'It's only an answering service. That means you do
any answering - not them.'

Mason had clamped the phone on the table and dialled steadily. Three ringing
tones, a click, and a girl's tinny voice: then Mason banged down the receiver.
'I can't go through with it! I've got my bloody career to consider - wife,
three kids - I don't want to finish up like that loony, Thurgood. I don't care
if he has got some swank radio shop in the West End. They can keep their
bloody money!' For the first time he sounded a little drunk. 'Anyway, they
pushed me into it. They made-all the running. All I did was to accept an
invitation to a party. God, what have I got myself into?'

'You haven't got yourself into anything yet,' Rawcliff said. 'I tell you what
you do. You can kip down on the sofa over there. I'll ring that number and
tell them to call back here between nine and ten in the morning - I don't go
to work until then. If they don't call, forget them.'