The Robot Brains [with w cat]
Шрифт:
– 13 -
203 When the captain came up to the old pub, he saw Miller's car standing at the entrance. It was late, and the door was locked. He went round the house to the back door which had been left open for him, and entered the house. It was dark and still inside. A light burned somewhere above.
204 He began climbing the stairs. Then, suddenly, breaking the silence of the house, came a gunshot. Christian jumped forward, to the top of the stairs. He found himself in a short corridor with a door at the end. The door was a little open, and light was coming from inside.
203
Он положил пистолет под подушку и вышел. Он пошел в старый, добрый паб, где была назначена встреча с Миллером.
204
Когда капитан подошел к пабу, он увидел машину Миллер у входа. Было поздно, и дверь была
205 He ran to the door and went in. Miller lay on the carpet. On his shirt there was blood. An automatic gun lay beside him, and there was no one else in the room.
206 Christian bent over Miller. The man was dead. He looked at the gun... it was very much like his own. He took it to read the number - and did not believe his eyes: it was his own gun.
207 Christian stared at the gun and then at Miller. He could not understand it. He knew that he had left his gun -
205
Он поднимался по лестнице, когда внезапный выстрел разорвал тишину. Кристиан устремился наверх. Он оказался в маленьком коридоре заканчивающимся дверью. Дверь была приоткрыта, и свет падал оттуда.
206
Он рванулся к двери и вбежал внутрь. Миллер лежал на ковре. На рубашке была кровь. Пистолет лежал рядом с ним, в комнате больше никого не было.
207
Кристиан наклонился над Миллером. Мужчина был мертв. Он посмотрел на оружие.. оно было очень похоже на... Он поднял и посмотрел номер, он не верил своим глазам, это был его собственный пистолет.
208 The door behind him closed softly and a key turned on the outside. Christian jumped to the door and pulled it, but in vain. He was locked in.
209 By now the old pub was coming to life. He heard movement and voices and steps in the corridor.
210 Someone knocked on the door and shouted: "Mister Miller, are you all right?"
211 Christian answered: "Open this door - Miller is dead, and his murderer is running away!"
208
Кристиан переводил взгляд с пистолета на Миллера. Он ничего не понимал, он же оставил пистолет...
209
Дверь позади тихо закрылась, в замке повернулся ключ. Кристиан прыгнул к двери и дернул, все напрасно. Он был заперт.
210
И сразу старый паб ожил. Он услышал движения, голоса и шаги в коридоре.
211
Кто-то постучал в дверь и крикнул - Мистер Миллер, у вас все в порядке?
212 There was a pause; then the key turned and the door opened. The red-faced owner of the pub stood there with a heavy stick in his hand. He was looking at Christian who was still holding the gun, and at Miller's body.
213 "Let me go out," said Christian.
214 "Not so fast - you will have to explain something"
215 "Listen, I was working with Miller. He was waiting for me. Someone shot him and-"
212
Кристиан ответил - Откройте дверь - Миллер мертв, и его убийца скрылся.
213
После паузы, ключ повернулся и дверь открылась. Краснолицый владелец паба стоял с тяжелой палкой в руке. Он посмотрел на Кристиана, который все еще держал пистолет и на тело Миллера.
214
– Разрешите пройти - сказал Кристиан.
215
– Не так быстро - вы должны кое-что объяснить.
216 "Maybe," said the red-faced man. He stepped back, quickly closed the door and locked it again. "You will stay here till I bring the police," he said.
217 For the first time Christian realized his own position. He had been found, alone, in a looked room, with a dead man, holding the gun - his own gun. It would be difficult to convince the police that he was not the murderer.
218 And how had his gun got here from the trailer?
216
– Послушайте, я работал с Миллером. Он ждал меня. Кто-то
217
– Может быть - сказал краснолицый. Он отступил назад и быстро запер дверь - Вы должны остаться там до прихода полиции - сказал он.
218
Только теперь Кристиан осознал свое положение. Он был обнаружен один в запертой комнате, с мертвым человеком, держащим пистолет - его собственный пистолет. Да, будет трудно убедить полицию, что он не убийца.
219 But now, Christian understood, there was no time for thinking about that. He opened the window. Looking down, he saw Miller's car.
220 He jumped out of the window, ran to the car and got in. The red-faced owner of the pub came out, shouting and waving his stick. Christian started the car and drove away at full speed.
– 14 -
221 He drove back to the Fair. He was determined to find the Brains and speak to them. Instinct told him they were responsible; they knew, that Miller had been watching them, and so they killed him. And they killed Miller with Christian's gun because they wanted to take revenge on him: they had not forgotten that he had interfered when they were speaking with Jo.
219
И как пистолет попал сюда из трейлера?
220
Кристиан понял, что сейчас не время раздумывать об этом. Он открыл окно, внизу стояла машина Миллера.
221
Он выпрыгнул из окна, и побежал к машине. Краснолицый хозяин паба выскочил из дверей и закричал, размахивая палкой. Кристиан на полной скорости (покинул сцену).
222 When he came to the Fair, he parked the car and got out of it. It was dark. Only one light was seen in the distance - it came from the Brains' trailer. Christian walked towards it.
223 The door was locked. The captain took a piece of wire out of his pocket, worked with it a little, and the door opened. The captain stepped in, holding his gun ready.
224 He stopped, disappointed. The trailer was empty.
222
Он направился обратно к Ярмарке. Он решил поговорить с Умниками. Инстинкт говорил ему, что они замешаны в деле, Миллер следил за ними, и они убили его. Убили из пистолета Кристиана потому что хотели отомстить ему, они не забыли случай с Джо.
223
Он запарковал машину у Ярмарки. Было темно. Только один огонек виделся в отдалении, он шел от трейлера Умников. Кристиан пошел туда.
224
Дверь была закрыта. Капитан достал проволоку из кармана, немного работы и дверь открыта. Капитан вошел внутрь, держа пистолет наготове.
225 Christian looked angrily around. Where were the Brains now? He could not wait for them. He was sure that the owner of the Cross Keys had raised an alarm and the police were looking for him. And the first place where they would come would be the Fair.
226 He had to get away before the police came. It was absolutely necessary for him to remain in freedom until he could prove his innocence. There was nothing else to do, Christian decided: he must disappear.
225
Он остановился в разочаровании. Трейлер был пуст.
226
Кристиан сердито оглянулся. Где же эти Умники? Он не имеет времени дожидаться их. Он был уверен, что владелец Перекрещенных ключей поднял тревогу и полиция разыскивает его. И первое место, где они будут его искать - Ярмарка.
He went quickly and silently to his own trailer and packed his bag. He looked under the pillow where he had left his gun: as he expected, there was nothing there. There was no doubt that the Brains had framed him for Miller's murder.
He was thinking where to go. He could not go to his yacht: he was sure that the police would visit it. He could not go to Fox - the police knew that they were friends, so, of course, they would come to Fox's place, too. He had friends who would be ready to hide him, but he wanted to remain near the Fair - that was his only chance to get at the Brains. And the Fair was leaving for Cambridge in the morning - Burkholder had decided to find a new place for it after the visit of Military Intelligence.
So Christian decided to go to Cambridge and hide there, waiting for his chance.
He took his bag and left his trailer. He went to the kitchen. There he took an empty bag and put into it some foodstuffs which he could find. Putting the bag on his shoulder, he left the kitchen.
The police knew the number of Miller's car, so he could not use it. He walked quickly along the path. In the bright light of the moon he saw a workman's bicycle near the fence. Without hesitation he got on it and, leaving the Fair, rode off in the direction of Cambridge.