"Ron Goulart - The Curse of the Obelisk" - читать интересную книгу автора (Goulart Ron)

museum director. "Even though he's seen fit to give me an extremely large
Hebraic nose. It is sad enough to be blamed for selling that accursed
obelisk without being branded a Dreyfusard as well. If the outside world
were to learn of my latest sorrows . . ." He sighed.
"Suppose you detail your problem to me."
The office was shadowy, the furniture heavy and dark, the carpets and
drapes the color of deep autumn. Hovering in the dim corners that the
light from the faintly hissing gas lamps didn't reach were coffins, mummy
cases and at least one suit of Oriental armor.
Allegre patted at the part in his slick dark hair. "My two regular
watchmen had let me down," he said, taking another disheartened glance
at the cartoon attacking him. "After all, M. Challenge, I do not own this
Musée des Antiquités. Nay, I am but an employee. When the directors,
you understand, agreed to sell the obelisk to Baron Groll in Urbania, I
could only, meekly, go along with them." He poked a delicate finger at the
cartoon. "This is, after all, a private institution and not a public one. They
can sell whatever they wish and to whomsoever they wish. Therefore, when
this Caran d'Ache shows me looting tombs and selling the treasures of
France to foreigners, he errs in— "
"You told my father your museum was haunted."
Allegre said, "Your father, at least in his cablegrams, strikes one as a
highly intelligent man. I was halfway expecting that he himself would
journey here to Paris to handle the—"
"He rarely travels these days," said Harry. "Do you have ghosts?"
Allegre shrugged with both his shoulders and both hands. "Ah, but I
myself have seen not a one," he replied. "My addlepated watchmen, on the
other hand, insist that on several occasions some unusual incidents have
taken place."
"Such as?"
"Most, if not all, of this outré activity has allegedly occurred in our
Antiqués Égyptiennes Wing, M. Challenge," said the director. "Both
Gaspar and Albert have insisted they heard many strange sounds and,
furthermore, that they saw with their own eyes . . ." He shrugged once
again. "They saw one of the mummified corpses leave its resting place and
walk."
"When did these incidents begin?"
Allegre answered, "Approximately three weeks ago. Fortunately, I have
been able, thus far, to keep it quiet. I fear that—"
"I'd like to talk to Gaspar and Albert."
"Ah, but alas, monsieur, that is not possible," explained Allegre. "They
are no longer employed here. Albert, in point of fact, ran screaming from
this place three midnights ago. Though Gaspar made a less flamboyant
exit, he too is gone."
"Is midnight when the ghostly happenings usually happen?"
"Not every midnight, but far too many, yes," answered the museum
director. "You also cannot, I fear, interrogate either Gerard or Paul."
"The new watchmen?"
"Exactly, monsieur." He sighed his deepest sigh thus far. "Gerard and
Paul lasted but a single night. Thus, you have indeed arrived at a most
fortunate juncture in the affairs of our plagued institution."