"Kenneth Robeson - Doc Savage 039 - The Seven Agate Devils" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

Monk’s ears got red.

Then came the sound of a car. It was a machine leaving the parking lot in a hurry. Monk and Ham raced
toward the sound.

It was hopeless, of course. The car got away into the night. As it passed under a distant floodlight at the
entrance arch, Monk got a glimpse of the occupants—the woman, and the man with the scrawny neck. Monk
endeavored furiously to find a car which was unlocked, but failed.

He was still at the task, when Doc Savage and Ham came up. Ham had dropped back to find Doc. Ham was
still chuckling.

"Monk was going to join the circus," he smirked. "He’s a ventriloquist. And you should have seen him
rehearse an acrobatic act with the bald-headed girl!"

The miserable sound that came out of Monk’s throat made Ham look very happy.

Doc Savage asked, "What were they after?"

"That document case," Ham declared.

They worked back toward the operations office and, wishing to avoid the throng, made for the rear door.

Doc Savage stopped suddenly. "Wait!"

Monk and Ham halted. Anxious peering into the surrounding darkness showed them nothing.

"What is it?" Monk demanded.

"Detect that odor?" Doc queried.

Monk sniffed. Ham did likewise. They both caught the scent.

"Moth balls," Monk grunted.

"Camphor," Ham corrected.

"That does somewhat describe the odor," Doc said. "But it probably is neither. It has a distinctly different
quality of its own. See if you can detect the stuff on your persons."

Monk and Ham sniffed.

"Not on us," they declared.

"It is distinctly noticeable on my stratosphere suit," Doc told them.

The bronze man finally moved forward again toward the operations office.
"Queer business," Ham murmured. "First, the attempt to seize the document case. Second, that odor."