scuit: переводы

→Then the lights went out, and the room exploded into screams and chaos.

→I’d seen almost exactly the same thing happen once before, years ago.

→And then he flung his spare pot of ink onto the floor, shattering the glass.

→Listens to Wind’s mouth opened in sudden surprise and understanding. He looked down at his ink stained fingertips, and then up at Peabody.

→“Working on the evidence Dresden found,” Ebenezar said, “Warden Ramirez and I searched Peabody’s chambers thoroughly not twenty minutes ago. A test of the inks he used to attain the signatures of the Senior Council for various authorizations revealed the presence of a number of chemical and alchemical substances that are known to have been used to assist psychic manipulation of their subjects. It is my belief that Peabody has been drugging the ink for the purpose of attempting greater mental influence over the decisions of members of the Senior Council, and that it is entirely possible that he has compromised the free will of younger members of the Council outright.”

→“Interesting,” the Merlin said, turning toward Peabody. There was something almost sharklike about his sudden focus.

→“It’s true,” said a middle aged woman, with skin several tones darker than my own, maybe from India or Pakistan.

→“Yes,” rumbled a stocky, bald man with an Asian cast to his features.

→She stared at me in obvious confusion. “Entirely. There are several other wizards present who could testify to the fact.”

→The Merlin’s eyes had brightened. “Mai. The beast’s identification is reliable?”

→“He sort of picked me,” I said.

→Mai looked as if someone had hit her between the eyes with a sledgehammer. “That,” she said, in a breathless tone, “is a Foo dog.” She stared at me. “Where did you get such a thing? And why were you allowed to keep it?”

→“That’s all you have?” Peabody asked. “A photo? And a dog?”

→His low growl filled the room like a big, gentle drumroll.

→On cue, Mouse stood up and turned toward Peabody.

→“In fact,” I said, “I do. I had a witness who was close enough to smell you.”

→Everyone on the Senior Council except Ebenezar and, for some reason, the Gatekeeper, turned to stare slack jawed at Peabody.

→If I’d had a keyboard player lurking nearby for a soap opera organ sting, it would have been perfect.

→“Other than this group,” I said, “I believe it is highly unlikely that anyone from Edinburgh should have randomly arrived at the Way in Chicago. Given that the group was indeed assaulted by creatures with the support of a wizard of Council level skill at that meeting, I believe it is reasonable to state that the killer took the bait.” I turned, drawing out the last photo with a dramatic flourish worthy of Poirot, and held it up so that the crowd could see it while I said, “So why don’t you tell us what you were doing in the Chicago area last night . . . Wizard Peabody?”

→I opened the envelope and began passing the Senior Council the photos. They took them, looking at each in turn. Ebenezar calmly confirmed that the images of the Wardens exiting the Way together with himself, Mai, and Listens to Wind were accurate.