"Деннис Уитли. The Devil Rides Out (англ.)" - читать интересную книгу автора

present occasion.
'Thank you, I should enjoy that,' he said promptly, while over
Simon's shoulder he studied the other two men who made up the party.
One, a tall, fair fellow, stood talking to Mocata. His thin, flaxen
hair brushed flatly back, and whose queer, light eyes proclaimed him
an Albino; the other, a stout man dressed in a green plaid and
ginger kilt, was walking softly up and down with his hands clasped
behind his back, muttering to himself inaudibly. His wild, flowing
white hair and curious costume suggested an Irish bard.
'Altogether a most unprepossessing lot,' thought the Duke, and
his opinion was not improved by three new arrivals. A grave-faced
Chinaman wearing the robes of a Mandarin, whose slit eyes betrayed a
cold, merciless nature: a Eurasian with only one arm, the left, and
a tall, thin woman with a scraggy throat and beetling eyebrows which
met across the bridge of her nose.
Mocata received them as though he were the host, but as the tall
woman bore down on Simon he promptly left the Duke, who guessed that
the move was to get out of earshot. However, the lady's greeting in
a high-pitched Middle Western accent came clearly to him.
'Waal, Simon, all excitement about what we'll learn tonight? It
should help a heap, this being your natal conjunction.'
'Ha! Ha!' said De Richleau to himself. 'Now I begin to understand
a little and I like this party even less,' Then, with the idea of
trying to verify his surmise, he turned towards the one-armed
Eurasian, but Simon-apparently guessing his intention-quickly
excused himself to the American woman, and cut off the Duke's
advance.
'So, my young friend,' thought De Richleau, 'you mean to prevent
me from obtaining any further information about this strange
gathering, do you? Ail right! I'll twist your tail a little,' and he
remarked sweetly:
'Did you say that you were interested in Astronomy or Astrology,
Simon? There is a distinct difference you know.'
'Oh, Astronomy, of course.' Simon ran a finger down his long,
beak-like nose. 'It is nice to see you again-have some more
champagne?'
'Thank you, no, later perhaps.' The Duke smothered a smile as he
caught Mocata, who had overheard him, exchange a quick look with
Simon.
'Wish this were an ordinary meeting,' Simon said, a moment later,
with an uneasy frown. Then I'd ask you to stay, but we're going
through the Society's annual balance-sheet tonight -and you and Rex
not being members you know . . .'
'Quite, quite, my dear fellow, of course,' De Richleau agreed
amicably, while to himself he thought, That's a nasty fence young
sly-boots has put up for me, but I'll be damned if I go before I
find out for certain what I came for.' Then he added in a cheerful
whisper: 'I should have gone before but Rex seems so interested in
the young woman in green, I want to give him as long as possible.'
'My dear chap,' Simon protested, 'I feel horribly embarrassed at