"Retromancer" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rankin Robert)

7

I did not faint this time. I felt that it would have been such a cliché to do so, and so I did not. I just stared at Mr Rune and asked, ‘How?’

‘The “how” need not concern you, Rizla. Only know that I brought these circumstances about. A great wrong has been done and we are the ones who must right this wrong. The Nazis must not win the Second World War. America must not be destroyed by an atomic holocaust. England must not be invaded. Are you with me on this?’

‘I am,’ I said. And I was. ‘But please tell me how you transported us through time. Do you have a time machine, or a police telephone box, or something?’

Hugo Rune did enigmatic tappings of the nose. ‘The magician never divulges how his magic is accomplished,’ said he. ‘But know that you and I are now in nineteen forty-four. This house, my manse, is a safe haven – we inhabited it in nineteen sixty-seven, therefore it does not get bombed in the time we now inhabit. But out there-’ and Mr Rune waved his hands towards the world beyond his home ‘-there is great danger, Rizla. A war wages. We must be ever upon our guard.’

‘One question,’ I said. ‘Although countless spring readily to mind. One question, please. This is your house and has been for many years, am I correct?’ And Mr Rune nodded. ‘So you owned this house during the Second World War?’ He nodded again. ‘And did you live in it then?’

‘Aha,’ said Hugo Rune. ‘You are thinking to yourself, where is the Hugo Rune of nineteen forty-four? Will I bump into my former self and cause some cosmic paradox to occur that might rend the fabric of time and bring about the destruction of the universe. Yes?’

‘No,’ I said. ‘I just did not fancy the prospect of having two of you nicking my breakfast.’

Oh how we laughed.

Then we stopped.

‘Twelve Cosmic Conundra,’ said Mr Rune. ‘Twelve cases that we must solve in order to defeat the Nazi peril, save America, save Mankind, secure a future for England that is free and liberated.’

‘I am for all of that,’ I said and I raised an imaginary glass.

‘And so it falls to you, Rizla. Through your choice, or at least through you, shall the cases be chosen.’

‘How?’ I asked. And not without reason, I think.

‘Through these.’ And Mr Rune produced from his pocket a small leather box.

‘A cigarette case,’ I said, ‘containing Wild Woodbines, I hope.’

‘A card case,’ said Mr Rune, ‘containing a set of tarot cards, designed by myself and illustrated by a delightful creature by the name of Lady Frieda Harris. Tarot cards, young Rizla. Tarot cards.’

‘Then you intend to read my fortune?’

‘No!’ Hugo Rune did once more the stamping of his foot. And once more everything jumped.

‘I wish you would not do that,’ I told him. ‘It fair puts the wind up me.’

‘Then pay attention. This is my personal tarot deck. Each card is symbolic. Heavily symbolic. Each represents a potential Cosmic Conundrum. You will shuffle the pack and you will deal out twelve cards. The future of Mankind depends upon this.’

‘Oh my,’ I said. And, ‘Oh dear. I do believe that this would be a responsibility well beyond myself. Please do the shuffling and dealing out, Mr Rune. You know so much and I know nothing. It would be better if you did the dealing out. Yes?’

‘No!’ And there almost came another stamp. But not quite. Mr Rune’s foot hovered airwards and I took the card case from his hands.

‘Now take yourself over to the breakfasting table, which you will notice has been cleared of its breakfasting paraphernalia by an agency of my commission-’

‘A demon?’ I said. ‘A calling?’

‘My butler, Gammon.’

‘Ah.’

‘Deal twelve cards. Go on, now.’

And so it came to pass. I took the card case and returned to the breakfasting table. I took the cards from the case and slowly, but thoroughly, shuffled them. They were beautiful cards, each unique, gorgeously wrought, magical and mystical, and I was quite entranced.

‘Shuffle them up and then deal out twelve.’

And so that came to pass.

I shuffled the beautiful cards and then I dealt twelve. Onto the linen tablecloth, twelve cards, in a circle, as if they were the numbers on a clock face.

And I stared down upon the cards that I had dealt.

And Mr Rune came forwards and peered over my shoulder. And then he called out the numbers and the names that were written upon those twelve cards.

0 THE FOOL

1 THE MAGICIAN

2 THE HIGH PRIESTESS

7 THE CHARIOT

9 THE HERMIT

10 THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE

11 JUSTICE

12 THE HANGÈD MAN

13 DEATH

16 THE TOWER

18 THE MOON

19 THE SUN

And then Mr Rune said, ‘Well done, Rizla. Now choose one, from anywhere, choose one.’

I pointed and I said, ‘THE HERMIT.’

And Mr Rune said, ‘What an excellent choice. That will be our first case.’