Тридцять дев’ять ступенів
Chapter 1
Itwasnotthesafetyofhisownskinthattroubledhim,butthesuccessoftheschemehehadplanned.Thatlittlemanwascleangritallthrough,withoutasoftspotinhim.Onenighthewasverysolemn.
“Say,Hannay,”hesaid,“IjudgeIshouldletyouabitdeeperintothisbusiness.Ishouldhatetogooutwithoutleavingsomebodyelsetoputupafight.”AndhebegantotellmeindetailwhatIhadonlyheardfromhimvaguely.
Ididnotgivehimverycloseattention.Thefactis,Iwasmoreinterestedinhisownadventuresthaninhishighpolitics.IreckonedthatKarolidesandhisaffairswerenotmybusiness,leavingallthattohim.Soalotthathesaidslippedcleanoutofmymemory.IrememberthathewasveryclearthatthedangertoKarolideswouldnotbegintillhehadgottoLondon,andwouldcomefromtheveryhighestquarters,wheretherewouldbenothoughtofsuspicion.Hementionedthenameofawoman—JuliaCzechenyi—ashavingsomethingtodowiththedanger.Shewouldbethedecoy,Igathered,togetKarolidesoutofthecareofhisguards.Hetalked,too,aboutaBlackStoneandamanthatlispedinhisspeech,andhedescribedveryparticularlysomebodythatheneverreferredtowithoutashudder—anoldmanwithayoungvoicewhocouldhoodhiseyeslikeahawk.
Hespokeagooddealaboutdeath,too.Hewasmortallyanxiousaboutwinningthroughwithhisjob,buthedidn’tcarearushforhislife
