Brooks, Terry Landover 01 Magic Kingdom For Sale Sold!

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.He was back in Chicago!His mind spun.Something had gone wrong.Something must have gone wrong.Otherwise, what was hedoing here? He braced himself against the wall railing.There was only one explanation.He had goneback through the mists completely; he had passed right through the fairy world into his own.The elevator stopped at eight, and the janitor got off.Ben stared after him as the doors slipped closed.He had never seen the man before in his life, and he thought he knew all of the help that serviced thebuilding by sight, if not by name.They cleaned the offices on Sundays; that was the only time theywere permitted to ride the elevators.He was always there, too, catching up on his paperwork.But hedidn't know this man.Why didn't he?He shook his head.Maybe it was someone new, he decided someone the building supervisor hadjust hired.But new help wouldn't work the offices on Sunday alone, not when they had access to.Hecaught himself.He smiled, suddenly giddy.Sunday! It must be Sunday if the janitors were using theelevators! He almost laughed.He hadn't thought to ask the day of the week since he had crossed intoLandover!The elevator began to rise.He saw the panel buttons blink in front of him and watched them climbtoward fifteen.The elevator was taking him to his office.But he hadn't punched the button, had he? Heglanced down in confusion and jumped.He was no longer wearing the clothes he had worn whenNightshade had sent him into the mists.He was wearing the running suit and Nikes he had worn when hehad gone into the Blue Ridge.What was happening?The elevator stopped at fifteen, the doors slid open and he stepped out into the hallway.A jog left andhe was at the glass doors that fronted the lobby to the offices of Holiday and Bennett, Ltd.The doorswere open.He pushed through and stepped inside.Miles Bennett turned from the reception desk, a sheaf of papers in his hands.He saw Ben, and thepapers slipped from his fingers and tumbled to the floor."Doc!" he whispered.Ben stared.It was Miles who stood before him, but not the Miles he had left behind.This Miles was ashell of that other man.He was no longer simply heavy; he was bloated.His face was florid in the mannerof a man who drinks too much.His dark hair had gone gray and thin.Worry lines marked his face like anetching.The shock faded from his partner's eyes and was replaced with undisguised rancor."Well, well DocHoliday." Miles spoke his name with distaste."Goddamn if it isn't old Doc.""Hello, Miles," he greeted and stuck out his hand.Miles ignored it."I can't believe it.I can't believe its reaiiy you.I thought I'd never see you again thought no one ever would.Goddamn.I thought you long since gone to hell and shoveling brimstone,Doc."Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlBen smiled, confused."Hey, Miles, it hasn't been that long.""No? You don't call ten years a long time? Ten goddamn years?" Miles smiled as he saw the stunnedlook on Ben's face."Yeah, that's right.Doc ten years.Not a living soul has heard a word from you inten years.No one me, least of all, your goddamn partner, in case you'd forgot!" He stumbled over thewords, swallowing."You poor, dumb jerk! You don't even know what's happened to you while you'vebeen off in your fairy world, do you? Well, let me clue you in.Doc.You're broke! You've losteverything!"Ben felt a chill settle through him."What?""Yeah, everything, Doc." Miles leaned back against the desk top."That's what happens when you'represumed legally dead they take everything away and give it to your heirs or to the state! Youremember your law, Doc? You remember how it works? You remember anything, goddamn it?"Ben shook his head disbelievingly."I've been gone ten years?""You always were a quick study.Doc." Miles was sneering openly at him now."The great Doc Holiday,courtroom legend.How many cases was it you won, Doc? How many shootouts did you survive?Doesn't much matter anymore, does it? Everything you worked for is gone.It's all gone."The veins on his cheeks were red and broken."You don't even have a place with this firm anymore.You're just a collection of old stories I tell the young bucks!"Ben wheeled about and looked at the lettering over the glass entry doors.It read, Bennett andAssociates, Ltd."Miles, it seemed like only a few weeks."he stammered helplessly."Weeks? Oh, damn you to hell, Doc!" Miles was crying [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Linki