"Zelazny, Roger - Amber 03 - Sign Of The Unicorn" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zelazny Roger)

ааааа"Yes?"
ааааа"Well... he was--somewhat--aware--of the possibility."
аааааShe paused and rearranged her gloves on the seat beside her.
ааааа"Uh-huh," I said. "Just what did he tell you?"
ааааа"That it might be the real you," she said. "He told me there had been--an accident."
ааааа"Really?"
ааааа"Well, no," she admitted. "Not an accident. He said there had been a fight and he had injured you. He thought you were going to die, and he did not want the blame. So he transported you off into Shadow and left you there, in that place. After a long while, he decided that you must be dead, that it was finally all over between you. My news naturally disturbed him. So he swore me to secrecy and sent me back to keep you under surveillance. I had a good excuse for being there, as I had already told everyone how much I liked the place."
ааааа"You didn't promise to keep silent for nothing, Flora. What did he give you?"
ааааа"He gave me his word that should he ever come into power here in Amber, I would not be forgotten."
ааааа"A little risky," I said. "After all, that would still leave you with something on him--knowledge of the whereabouts of a rival claimant, and of his part in putting him there."
ааааа"True. But things sort of balanced out, and I would have to admit having become an accomplice in order to talk about it."
аааааI nodded.
ааааа"Tight, but not impossible," I agreed. "But did you think he would let me continue living if he ever did get a chance at the throne?"
ааааа"That was never discussed. Never."
ааааа"It must have crossed your mind, though."
ааааа"Yes, later," she said, "and I decided that he would probably do nothing. After all, it was beginning to seem likely that you had been deprived of your memory. There was no reason to do anything to you so long as you were harmless."
ааааа"So you stayed on to watch me, to see that I remained harmless?"
ааааа"Yes."
ааааа"What would you have done had I shown signs of recovering my memory?"
аааааShe looked at me, then looked away.
ааааа"I would have reported it to Eric."
ааааа"And what would he have done then?"
ааааа"I don't know."
аааааI laughed a little, and she blushed. I could not remember the last time I had seen Flora blush.
ааааа"I will not belabor the obvious," I said. "All right, you stayed on, you watched me. What next? What happened?"
ааааа"Nothing special. You just went on leading your life and I went on keeping track of it."
ааааа"All of the others knew where you were?"
ааааа"Yes. I'd make no secret of my whereabouts. In fact, all of them came around to visit me at one time or another."
ааааа"That includes Random?"
аааааShe curled her lip.
ааааа"Yes, several times," she said.
ааааа"Why the sneer?"
ааааа"It is too late to start pretending I like him," she said. "You know. I just don't like the people he associates with--assorted criminals, jazz musicians.... I had to show him family courtesy when he was visiting my shadow, but he put a big strain on my nerves, bringing those people around at all hours--jam sessions, poker parties. The place usually reeked for weeks afterward and I was always glad to see him go. Sorry. I know you like him, but you wanted the truth."
ааааа"He offended your delicate sensibilities. Okay. I now direct your attention to the brief time when I was your guest. Random joined us rather abruptly. Pursuing him were half a dozen nasty fellows whom we dispatched in your living room."
ааааа"I recall the event quite vividly."
ааааа"Do you recall the guys responsible--the creatures we had to deal with?"
ааааа"Yes."
ааааа"Sufficiently well to recognize one if you ever saw another?"
ааааа"I think so."
ааааа"Good. Had you ever seen one before?"
ааааа"No."
ааааа"Since?"
ааааа"No."
ааааа"Had you ever heard them described anywhere?"
ааааа"Not that I can remember. Why?"
аааааI shook my head.
ааааа"Not yet. This is my inquisition, remember? Now I want you to think back for a time before that evening. Back to the event that put me in Greenwood. Maybe even a little earlier. What happened, and how did you find out about it? What were the circumstances? What was your part in things?"
ааааа"Yes," she said. "I knew you would ask me that sooner or later. What happened was that Eric contacted me the day after it occurred--from Amber, via my Trump."
аааааShe glanced at me again, obviously to see how I was taking it, to study my reactions. I remained expressionless.
ааааа"He told me you had been in a bad accident the previous evening, and that you were hospitalized. He told me to have you transferred to a private place, one where I could have more say as to the course of your treatment."