"Kenneth Robeson - Doc Savage 123 - The Talking Devil" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

“Beg pardon?” the man said. He sounded frightened, nervous, embarrassed.

“This is Butch,” said Montague Ogden.

“Butch, eh?” Monk said, and tried not to grin at the timid soul.

Montague Ogden remarked, “Butch, we have come after the devil statue.”

“Oh,” Butch said. He looked scared. “Oh! I haven't-that is-well, it's over there, but-”

“Never mind,” Montague Ogden told him. “We'll take it with us. You can go ahead with your work,
Butch.”

Montague Ogden picked up the devil statue.

The statue was about what Monk expected to see, being not much over a foot high, rather fat, and made
of brass that was tarnished, or bronze, wearing some sort of ceremonial robe, and holding a sword in one
hand. This devil had a pronounced Chinese cast on his evil little face.

“I'll carry it,” Monk said.

“But-”
“I'll carry it,” Monk repeated.

Montague Ogden smiled and his, “Very well, if you wish,” was the soul of politeness.

They left the den and Monk was glad to get out of sight of all the leering, staring or snarling stuffed
animals. He wondered how Butch managed to stand it in there with all those man-hungry-looking
trophies, and he wondered if that was what was making Butch look frightened.

“Who's Butch?” Monk asked. “What's he do, I mean?”

“His work?”

“Yes.”

“Butch is my big-game hunting guide and my jujitsu instructor,” Montague Ogden explained. “He also
teaches me wrestling and the art of knife-throwing, in. which I am interested as a hobby.”

Monk laughed. He thought he was being kidded.

They went down a hall that was majestic in a futuristic modern fashion, with high walls and great pictures
in gaunt plain frames, and lighting that was so subdued that it was difficult to tell from where it came.

Monk walked along thinking of the timid soul who was named Butch, and how funny it was that Ogden
had jokingly said Butch was his hunting guide and instructor in the more robust manly arts. Ordinarily that
would not have been funny, but after you had seen Butch it was quite humorous.

“We can go through this way,” Montague Ogden said. “It is shorter.”