"Kenneth Robeson - Doc Savage 146 - Cargo Unknown" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

Only it was. He identified himself.

“Can we talk here?” Commander Giesen asked.

“Sure,” Renny said.

The Commander was a tall middle-aged man with a rather stony presence and no little dignity. He was
not a man you would like as a boon companion, not a fellow you would invite out for a drink with the
expectation of having a roistering evening. But he was a man you would instinctively trust.

“This may strike you as unnecessary,” the Commander told Renny. Then he went to the door, and spoke
to three men who were outside.

The three men proceeded to go over Renny's hotel room as if hunting diamonds. They gave particular
attention to the windows, pictures, openings, but omitted nothing.

“No microphones or eavesdroppers, sir,” one of them reported. And the three left.

Renny wondered if he looked as startled as he actually was.

The Commander said, “What I have to say needs a preliminary speech which will go something like this:
You are Colonel John Renwick, an engineer by profession, and you are also associated with Doc
Savage. You have been in England as a consultant on industrial conversion back to peace production.
Your work is finished. You have been complimented by the government office, banqueted by the factory
men, decorated by the queen, and now you're ready to go back to New York.”

Renny waited. He wondered what was coming.

The Commander leaned forward. “I am not flattering you, but instead am pointing out that you are a man
of considerable ability and consequence, and that we are fully aware of it.”

“I'm not such a big shot,” Renny said modestly.

“Big enough to awe us somewhat,” said the Commander. “And additionally you have a reputation of
being quite frequently interested in the unusual, the mysterious.”

Renny frowned. “Mysterious and unusual—what do you mean?”

“You are,” said the Commander, “supposed to be a man who likes adventure.”

“It sounds rather corny when you put it that way,” Renny said. “But it's probably true. Anyway, I've
heard other people say that about me. I guess it applies to all five of us. There are five of us associated
with Doc Savage, you know.”

“I know,” agreed Commander Giesen, nodding. “Your prestige as a Doc Savage associate influenced us
quite a lot in deciding to ask you to do this rather unusual job.”

Renny examined the other. “You came here to ask me to do something?”

“Righto.”