"Doc Savage Adventure 1935-07 Quest of Qui" - читать интересную книгу автора (Doc Savage Collection)

"Sure," said Monk. "He's part bloodhound, that hog is."

Monk walked rapidly along a corridor which had cost a great deal to decorate. After a single look at Monk, one knew where he got his nickname. He would not have to be met in a very dark alley to be mistaken for an overgrown ape. His face was composed mostly of mouth. His nose had been pounded almost entirely back into his face in the past, and he had small eyes, practically no forehead. Strangely enough, people who met him for the first time usually smiled at him.

Monk opened a mahogany door and entered a room which was no doubt the most expensive pigpen in the world. The floor was marble covered with mats, and there was a trough of chromium, and various chromium self-feeders holding viands dear to the porker family. There was a stack of clean straw at one end. In the middle was a wallowing box perhaps ten feet square. The mud in this wallow was perfumed.

Out of the mud stuck two ears of enormous size. "Habeas!" Monk called.
The ears twitched.

"Get outta there or I'll kick your ribs in!" Monk yelled.

The big ears arose. Judging from their size, the hog in the mud should have been only slightly smaller than a hippopotamus. He proved to be about the size of a good jack rabbit. He was composed, other than ears, of snout and long legs, with very little left over for other necessary portions.

Habeas followed Monk back into the dark room.

"There's a mystery in here, Habeas," Monk said. "Find 'im? Sic!"

Habeas seemed to get the idea. He advanced. Then a very peculiar thing happened. The big ears shot up straight. Habeas stiffened. Then, very slowly, he retreated to the door.

"Good night!" Monk breathed. "Only other time I ever seen Habeas act that scared was when he happened on a lion unexpected like down in - "

Feet clattered furiously outside. Doors banged. Monk spun, whipped the machine-gun out of his secretary's hands, faced the door.


DOC SAVAGE and Renny came in. Renny was blowing. Doc's bronze was a little darker, as if he had been moving fast.

"All of this excitement over me?" Monk grinned.

"What happened?" Doc asked quietly.

Monk told them, ending, "Something in here gave Habeas the big jitters. Must be something he smells. You can see there ain't no place big enough for a man to hide."

Renny picked up the alarm clock.

"Different brand than the one in Doc's office," he said. "That's easy to understand. Anybody who bought two alarm clocks might be suspected."

"He dang thing sure raised the roof," Monk stated.

Doc Savage was examining the stubby spear. He pulled it out of the wall, after giving it a yank to demonstrate how forcibly it had been driven in. He turned it over and examined it for finger prints, but found none.

"Viking," he said.

"What?" Renny boomed.

"A type of short club spear carried by ancient Vikings," Doc elaborated. "There is a historical reference to them. You will notice it is heavy enough for a club, and at the same time the leather tassel on the end makes it go straight if thrown."

Monk got the thong which had been about his ankles. The thong had a length of some fifteen feet beyond the loop.

Doc looked at it.