"020 (B026) - Death in Silver (1934-10) - Lester Dent" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

This was nothing if not libel. The apish man, "Monk," was Lieut. Col. Andrew Blodgett Mayfair, and conceded by those who knew to be one of the greatest of living chemists. His head, which did not look as if it had room for a thimbleful of brains, harbored a fabulous amount of chemical and electro-chemical lore.



Monk glared at the dapper newcomer.



"The shyster lawyer heard from," he growled.



That was another libel. The dressy gentleman was Brig. Gen. Theodore Marley Brooks, better known as "Ham," one of the most astute lawyers ever to get his sheepskin from Harvard.



A strange pair, these two. They were always together, yet no one could remember either one having spoken a civil word to the other. Those who knew, however, could cite a number of instances when each had risked his life to save the other.



Men far-famed in their professions, both of them. Yet they were known to the comers of the earth for another reason - known as two members of a group of five who were assistants to a man who was probably the most famed adventurer of all time.



Monk and Ham were aides of Doc Savage, the man of bronze, the man of mystery, the being of fabulous accomplishments, who was almost a legend to the general public, but who was the synonym for terror and justice to those who preyed upon their fellow men.





HAM flourished his sword cane. "What was that - that quake?"



"Search me," said Monk, whose voice, in repose, was remarkably small and querulously childlike.



Seizing a fire extinguisher, Monk went to work on the chemical blazes. He resented this damage to his laboratory, for it was one of the most complete in existence, exceeded only by those maintained by the man of bronze, Doc Savage, who was himself a greater chemist than Monk.



Habeas Corpus, Monk's pet pig, backed away from the flames, saw he was getting near Ham, and hastily shied off. Habeas and Ham did not get along together. Ham had repeatedly threatened to make breakfast bacon out of Habeas.



The fires doused, Monk cast aside the extinguisher.