"Brian Lumley - Necroscope 2 - Wamphyri!" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lumley Brian)

the Château's the Château itself that the tank did go, and by then the truck was a blazing shell
anyway. Hearing the thunderous roar and feeling something of its concussion, they looked back.
Cab and chassis and superstructure had all flown apart; bits of blazing debris were falling in the
snow; a mushroom of smoke shot with flame was uncurling itself high over the trees. It was done...


Krakovitch spoke for some time on the telephone to his go-between, an anonymous voice
which seemed hardly interested in what he was saying, yet precise and cutting as a razor when its
owner required more information. He finished off by saying: 'Oh, and I've a new assistant here, a
Sergeant Sergei Gulharov, from the supply and transport barracks in Serpukhov. I'm keeping him
on. Can you get him permanently posted to the Château, as of now? He's young and strong and I'll
have plenty of work for him.'


'Yes, I'll do that,' came the cool, clear answer. 'He'll be your odd-job man, you say?'


'And my bodyguard,' said Krakovitch, 'eventually. I'm not much physically.'


'Very well. I'll check out the chances of getting him on a military close protection course.
Weapons, too, if he's not up to scratch. Of course, we could take a shortcut and get you a
professional...'


'No,' Krakovitch was firm. 'No professionals. This one will do. He's fairly innocent and I like
that. It's refreshing.'


'Krakovitch,' said the voice on the other end, 'I need to know this. Are you a homosexual?'


'Of course not! Oh! I see. No, I need him genuinely - and he looks about as gay as a shipyard
welder! I'll tell you why I want him right now - because I'm alone here. And if you were here you'd
know what I mean.'


'Yes, I'm told you've had to weather quite a lot. Very well, leave it with me.'


Thank you,' said Krakovitch. He broke the connection.


Gulharov was impressed. 'Just like that,' he said. 'You have a lot of power, sir.'


'It seems that way, doesn't it?' Krakovitch smiled tiredly. 'Listen, I'm dead on my feet. But
there's one more thing to do before I can sleep. And let me tell you, if you think what you've seen
so far is unpleasant, what you're about to see is far worse! Come with me.'