Короли и капуста
Caught
Therewasalawthatnocivilianmightcomesoneartheheadquartersofthatcitadelofwarafternineo’clock,butGoodwinwasalwaysforgettingtheminorstatutes.
"Quiénvive?"shriekedthesentinel,wrestlingprodigiouslywithhislengthymusket.
"Americano,"growledGoodwin,withoutturninghishead,andpassedon,unhalted.
Totherightheturned,andtotheleftupthestreetthatultimatelyreachedthePlazaNacional.WhenwithinthetossofacigarstumpfromtheintersectingStreetoftheHolySepulchre,hestoppedsuddenlyinthepathway.
Hesawtheformofatallman,clothedinblackandcarryingalargevalise,hurrydownthecross-streetinthedirectionofthebeach.AndGoodwin’ssecondglancemadehimawareofawomanattheman’selbowonthefartherside,whoseemedtourgeforward,ifnoteventoassist,hercompanionintheirswiftbutsilentprogress.TheywerenoCoralians,thosetwo.
Goodwinfollowedatincreasedspeed,butwithoutanyoftheartfultacticsthataresodeartotheheartofthesleuth.TheAmericanwastoobroadtofeeltheinstinctofthedetective.HestoodasanagentforthepeopleofAnchuria,andbutforpoliticalreasonshewouldhavedemandedthenandtherethemoney.Itwasthedesignofhispartytosecuretheimperilledfund,torestoreittothetreasuryofthecountry,andtodeclareitselfinpowerwithoutbloodshedorresistance.
ThecouplehaltedatthedooroftheHoteldelosEstranjeros,andthemanstruckuponthewoodwiththeimpatienceofoneunusedtohisentrybeingstayed.
