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(R) PREDATOR
Айзек Азимов.
Человек который никогда не лгал.
(продолжение)
Меню на этот раз было составленно крайне небрежно:первым блю-
дом подавались артишоки. Естественно,Seeing this situation, Ru-
Bean immediately launched into a lengthy exposition of the rules of preparation
proper sauce. When Trumbell remarked disgustedly that the only
the proper way to handle artichokes was to omit
them into a trash can of the largest possible volume, Rubin said:
- This is true in the case when they are filed without proper
th sauce.
Sand ate without any appetite and left no less untouched
a third of his perfect steak. Halstead, who had
tendency to be overweight, cast greedy glances at this piece. His
His own plate was the first to be emptied. The gnawed bone and
a little fat is all that is left in it.
Sand apparently noticed Halstead's interest in the half-eaten beef
steak and said:
- To tell the truth, I try not to eat too much. Notpose-
6otutecb are you talking about my steak?
- Who? I? “No, I’m very grateful,” Halstead said gloomily.
Sand smiled:
- Can I be frank with you?
- Of course. If you listened carefully to what was discussed
this table, you should have noticed that frankness here is in
in the order of things.
- This is good. In any case, I was sincere with you, u6o
truthfulness is my fetish. You're lying, Mr. Halstead. Of course you
wouldn't mind eating the leftovers of my steak and definitely 6y
done, be sure that no one will notice this. You see so?
But social conventions force you to lie. You don't feel like itseem greedy. I don’t want to be known as a person who neglects
basic hygiene standards: there may be parts on the meat -
glasses of saliva from a stranger.
Halstead frowned:
- Well, what if the opposite situation was in front of us? What then?
- That is, if I was in your place?
- Yes.
- I didn’t finish eating your steak solely for reasons
He did not care about cleanliness, but he also did not hide his desires.
Almost every lie comes from the desire to protect oneself from
troubles or from fear of social conventions.
I believe that a lie can be an effective form of
shields.AI am not interested in social attitudes at all.
“Lies,” Rubin intervened, “can be very effective.”
a means of defense if it has a fundamental, global ha-
character The trouble is that people most often resort to
lying about trifles.
- Have you recently re-read <>? - asked Gon-
lard
Rubin's eyebrows instantly shot up.
- Do you really think that Hitler was the first to use the
the big lie? You can remember Napoleon III. Or else
an example is Julius Caesar. Have you ever read his <>?
Henry had already brought the rum beans and was now carefully pouring
cupscoffee.B this time Avalon said:
- Let's return to our esteemed guest.
“As the owner and chairman of this meeting,” said
Gonzalo, - I wanted to cancel the interrogation procedure. Our guest found
is in a difficult situation, and I ask him to initiate us into
details.
At the same time, he sketched a cartoon on the back side with a pencil
menu, where Sand was depicted with a long, sad face and a very
looked like a thoroughbred bloodhound.
Sand cleared his throat.
- As far as I understand, everything said in this room will be consistent
xpaheho in the strictest confidence. At the same time... Trumbell followed the direction of Sand's gaze, after which
growled displeasedly:
- You don’t have to worry about Henry. He is perhaps the most
worthy of all of us. If that's what you want, you can doubt it
in the decency of any of those present, but not him.
“Thank you, sir,” Henry muttered, arranging the buffet
drendy glasses.
“Gentlemen,” Sand began, “my problem is...
that I am suspected of committing a crime.
- Which one exactly? - Trumbell asked sternly.
Usually inhis job was to interrogate clients. One
a glance at this man was enough to understand that he
who will not miss the opportunity given to him.
“Theft,” answered Sand. - From the safe of the company where I work -
I'm sorry, a certain amount of money and a whole stack of valuable 6u-
magician - bonds. I am one of those employees who
know the code, and I actually had the opportunity to stealthily
open the safe for others. There were also motives for the crime: punishment
Well, I lost at the races and was in dire need of money
In general, everything is not turning out in my favor.
“But he didn’t do it,” Gonzalo intervened heatedly. - In this
all the focus!
Avalon was rocking a half-empty glass, which, apparently,
and had no intention of finishing it. He said:
- II guess we should let Mr. Sand tell all
from start to finish.
“That’s right,” Trumbell said. - But how do you know that
he didn't do this, Mario?
- Damn, that's the point! - answered Gonzalo. - After all, he
He says he didn’t do it, and if that’s the case, then he didn’t do it. Other evidence-
I don't need bodies. Of course, the jury may have
Have your own opinion, but anyone who knows this person will believe him.
More than once I heard him admit such unsightly things,
o which no one else...
- Wait. Let me ask him a question myself, okay? - said
Trumbell. - Did you take money and papers from the safe, Mr. Sand?
TO BE CONTINUED.
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