"Brian Lumley - Psychomech 01 - Psychomech" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lumley Brian)

tomorrow - you.’
Garrison felt a sudden chill that had nothing at all to do with the balmy temperature. Curious though he was, he
curbed his instinctive desire to know more about Schroeder’s strictly private place’. Instead he asked: ‘Where to
now?’
‘Carry on straight down this path, slowly. There’s a place in the woods where a very special mushroom may be
Found.*
‘Mushrooms, at this time of year?’
‘Very special,’ Schroeder repeated. ‘I had the spawn brought here from the Nan Shan in Tibet. It lay dormant for two
years. Then, last year, the first crop. And I am informed that the mushrooms are once again ready to be picked. We
shall see ...’
 Garrison pushed the wheelchair and Schroeder down a slight decline for about a hundred yards; after that the way
levelled out and quite suddenly the sun’s warmth left his face and naked arms.-xNow he heard the whisper of leaves,
smelled the fragrance of the pines.
They came to a gate and Schroeder told Garrison to stop, The industrialist applied his chair’s brakes and guided
Garrison round to the gate, describing how it could be opened. Working by touch, Garrison managed it easily. Leaving
the gate open he went back to the wheelchair, but as he did so there came the rustle of leaves and stealthy footsteps.
He heard the sharp ch-ching of an automatic weapon being cocked.
‘Thomas, look out!’ Garrison hoarsely yelled, flinging himself face-down in pine needles, leaves and loam.
‘Easy, my boy, easy!’ Schroeder’s voice came to life, as if their previous conversation had been a drugged
mumbling. There are no enemies here. This is Gunter, one of my men.
There are a good many of them in the woods and on the approach road. They reinforce the warning notices. I value
my privacy, you see.’
‘Jesus!’ Garrison gasped. ‘You should have told me.’ He climbed shakily to his feet and Schroeder could see that his
face was filmed with sweat.
‘Your reactions have not slowed down,’ the German told him, his eyes narrowing where they peered at Garrison
through thick lenses. ‘No, indeed. I rather think that Gunter is lucky you don’t have your SMG, eh?’
‘Damn right!’ Garrison growled. ‘He’d probably be a dead man.’
‘Still,’ Schroeder continued, ’it’s a pity.’ He wheeled his chair over to where Garrison dusted himself down, picked
pine needles from the Corporal’s shirt and trousers. ‘You have come to associate me with danger.’
Garrison turned to the man and frowned. He was trembling a little. ‘Yes, I guess I have. But you should know this: I
wasn’t afraid for myself. Why should anybody want to shoot a blind man?’
‘And you asked me if I would trust you,’ Schroeder softly reminded. Then, in harsh and stinging tones, he
tongue-lashed his watchman for a full three minutes, barely pausing for breath. The man mumbled his excuses, which
only brought more fury from his employer, until finally Schroeder was through with him. Then Garrison made out
Gunter’s gruff ‘Entschuldigen sie,’ before the bushes rustled and the man was allowed to depart into the trees.
‘He is a bloody fool!’ Schroeder snarled. ‘He frightened me, too, coming upon us like that. But... I suppose he was
only trying to show me how alert and capable he is. Here, let’s have a cigarette as we go. The man’s made my nerves
jump. The place of the mushrooms is not much farther now. And of course we must be back for your swim with Vicki.’
‘Vicki,’ said Garrison, his voice giving nothing away. ‘So You’ve seen her this morning and she spoke of me. Who is
she?’
‘The daughter of a friend. She has been blind since she was fifteen. Nothing can be done for her.’
‘And why is she here?’
‘Company for you,’ Schroeder was frank. ‘I thought you might feel less isolated if there was another blind person
here. Also, this is a nice place to holiday. Yes, let us simply say that she is enjoying a holiday with her Uncle Thomas,
eh?’
‘Listen,’ Garrison said, his voice hardening. ‘I don’t want to seem ungrateful, but I really don’t need anyone pimping
for me!’
Schroeder was ready with his dry chuckle. ‘I said she was company for you. I did not say anything about her being
you whore! Look, Vicki is good company. Whether or not you can take her to bed is your business. But I’ll tell you
something: she has red hair and brilliant green eyes, and in my experience that’s a deadly combination - especially in a