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

had stiffened where he stood. Then, before Simon could bar his way,
he leapt towards the hamper and ripped open the lid.
'Stop that!' cried Simon angrily, and dashing forward he forced
it shut again, but too late, for within the basket the Duke had seen
two living pinioned fowls-a black cock and a white hen.
With a sudden access of bitter fury he turned on Simon, and
seizing him by his silk lapels, shook him as a terrier shakes a rat.
'You fool,' he thundered. 'I'd rather see you dead than monkeying
with Black Magic.'


3

The Esoteric Doctrine

'Take-take your hands off me,' Simon gasped.
His dark eyes blazed in a face that had gone deathly white and
only a superhuman effort enabled him to keep his clenched fists
pressed to his sides.
In another second he would have hit the Duke, but Rex, a head
taller than either of them, laid a mighty hand on the shoulder of
each and forced them apart.
'Have a heart now, just what is all this?' His quiet, familiar
voice, with its faint American intonation, sobered the others
immediately and De Richleau, swinging on his heel, strode to the
other side of the observatory, where he stood for a moment, with his
back towards them, regaining control of his emotions.
Simon, panting a little, gave a quick, nervous wriggle of his
bird-like head and smoothed out the lapels of his evening coat.
'Now-I'll tell you,' he said jerkily, 'I never asked either of
you to come here tonight, and even my oldest friends have no right
to butt in on my private-affairs. I think you'd better go.'
The Duke turned, passing one hand over his greying hair. All
trace of his astonishing outburst had disappeared and he was once
more the handsome, distinguished figure that they knew so well.
'I'm sorry, Simon,' he said gravely. 'But I felt as a father
might who sees his child trying to pick live coals out of the fire.'
'I'm not a child,' muttered Simon, sullenly.
'No, but I could not have more affection for you if you were
actually my son, and it is useless now to deny that you are playing
the most dangerous game which has ever been known to mankind
throughout the ages.'
'Oh, come,' a quick smile spread over Rex's ugly, attractive
face. 'That's a gross exaggeration. What's the harm if Simon wants
to try out a few old parlour games?'
'Parlour games!' De Richleau took him up sharply. 'My dear Rex, I
fear your prowess in aeroplanes and racing cars hardly qualifies you
to judge the soul destroying powers of these ancient cults.'
'Thanks. I'm not quite a half-wit, and plenty of spiritualistic
seances take place in the States, but I've never heard of anyone as