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

trouble-shooter, to enjoy all the bogus virility symbols that such a role
seemed i to demand: a convivial drinker who made free with his loins, while
remaining strictly short on emotional commitment. But all that had been in the
past - well before Judith and Tom.

He looked across at Mason, sitting tense and alert in front of him, gripping
his pale whisky. Flight-Lieutenant Mason was a sensible chap - wary of the
demon drink. He also " looked trim and fit. And while.Rawcliff himself was
still a powerful, well-built man, he was made aware that his good looks had
sagged, that there were loops under his eyes and a thickening round his waist
- all the marks of late-found domesticity and the daunting burden of
parenthood.

Mason was moving his glass round between his fingers, clearly nervous.
Rawcliff said: 'You told me you had something you wanted to talk about in
private. Well,' is this private enough?'

'I'm awfully sorry,' Mason began, 'but I shan't be able to come to you after
this week. I've been called back to base.'

'We shall be sorry too. But that's not what you came to talk about, surely?'

.'No. Charles, I came to ask your advice. I've just had rather a funny
experience and I don't know quite what to ; make of it. You see, we Service
chaps lead rather a cloistered ' life - we don't get around like you London
fellows.'

Rawcliff stood up. 'Let me freshen your drink, then you can tell me all about
it. Judith'll rustle up something for us to eat. Right - fire away.'

'Well, as I told you, I don't know London, and a few ! evenings ago I found
myself at a bit of a loose end. 1 went to a pub in Knightsbridge where I'd
heard that some of the chaps from base go when they're up in town. I'm not
much of a drinking man, but I thought I'd go on the off-chance I might bump
into somebody I knew.
'As it happened, I was in for a bit of a surprise. I'd hardly been in there
for a few minutes when I caught sight of an ail-too familiar face - and one I
hadn't expected to see in a hurry. Belonged to a chap called Thurgood.
Ex-Flight Lieutenant Oswald Thurgood - with the emphasis on the Ex. You know
how it is in the Services - everyone conforming, not much room for
individuality - so when someone does step out of line, he does it in a big
way. Thurgood was one of those. As mad as a hatter. Really bonkers - almost
certifiable. For periods he just used to lie on his bunk staring at the
ceiling. Sometimes he got these headaches which would keep him off-duty for
days at a time. That was usually the signal for him to reappear arid do
'something crazy.

'I hadn't seen him for over eighteen months - since the Christmas before last,
to be exact, when he finally went over the top. It was Christmas Eve and most
of us family chaps were out of camp, in married quarters. Thurgood wasn't