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- Джон Джон Бакен
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- Стр. 81/83
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It
was
the
movement
I
remembered
when
I
had
stood
before
him
in
the
moorland
farm
,
with
the
pistols
of
his
servants
behind
me
.
A
little
thing
,
lasting
only
a
second
,
and
the
odds
were
a
thousand
to
one
that
I
might
have
had
my
eyes
on
my
cards
at
the
time
and
missed
it
.
But
I
did
n't
,
and
,
in
a
flash
,
the
air
seemed
to
clear
.
Some
shadow
lifted
from
my
brain
,
and
I
was
looking
at
the
three
men
with
full
and
absolute
recognition
.
The
clock
on
the
mantelpiece
struck
ten
o'clock
.
The
three
faces
seemed
to
change
before
my
eyes
and
reveal
their
secrets
.
The
young
one
was
the
murderer
.
Now
I
saw
cruelty
and
ruthlessness
,
where
before
I
had
only
seen
good-humour
.
His
knife
,
I
made
certain
,
had
skewered
Scudder
to
the
floor
.
His
kind
had
put
the
bullet
in
Karolides
.
The
plump
man
's
features
seemed
to
dislimn
,
and
form
again
,
as
I
looked
at
them
.
He
had
n't
a
face
,
only
a
hundred
masks
that
he
could
assume
when
he
pleased
.
That
chap
must
have
been
a
superb
actor
.
Perhaps
he
had
been
Lord
Alloa
of
the
night
before
;
perhaps
not
;
it
did
n't
matter
.
I
wondered
if
he
was
the
fellow
who
had
first
tracked
Scudder
,
and
left
his
card
on
him
.
Scudder
had
said
he
lisped
,
and
I
could
imagine
how
the
adoption
of
a
lisp
might
add
terror
.
But
the
old
man
was
the
pick
of
the
lot
.
He
was
sheer
brain
,
icy
,
cool
,
calculating
,
as
ruthless
as
a
steam
hammer
.
Now
that
my
eyes
were
opened
I
wondered
where
I
had
seen
the
benevolence
.
His
jaw
was
like
chilled
steel
,
and
his
eyes
had
the
inhuman
luminosity
of
a
bird
's
.
I
went
on
playing
,
and
every
second
a
greater
hate
welled
up
in
my
heart
.
It
almost
choked
me
,
and
I
could
n't
answer
when
my
partner
spoke
.
Only
a
little
longer
could
I
endure
their
company
.
"
Whew
!
Bob
!
Look
at
the
time
,
"
said
the
old
man
.
"
You
'd
better
think
about
catching
your
train
.
Bob
's
got
to
go
to
town
tonight
,
"
he
added
,
turning
to
me
.
The
voice
rang
now
as
false
as
hell
.
I
looked
at
the
clock
,
and
it
was
nearly
half-past
ten
.
"
I
am
afraid
he
must
put
off
his
journey
,
"
I
said
.
"
Oh
,
damn
,
"
said
the
young
man
.
"
I
thought
you
had
dropped
that
rot
.
I
've
simply
got
to
go
.
You
can
have
my
address
,
and
I
'll
give
any
security
you
like
.
"
