Albedo Castle

“Same to you.”

“Where’s Richard?”

“In the hotel room. He told us to wait here,” Dario answered.

“So we wait here,” Christopher threw up his hands and sat down on the armrest of the doctor’s chair. “Everyone knows the plan?”

He wasn’t even trying to hide his smile, Dario Fisher was staring at the stranger with curiosity, Adam Bradshaw – with a mix of wariness and resignation.

“The plan is to discuss everything that’s happened up until now – together,” Alexandra explained.

She stood nearby, hands crossed over her chest, looking towards the elevator that Richard was supposed to come out of – barely restraining herself from going up to the room.

“And then get shitfaced,” concluded Christopher.

“We narrowly dodged a Japanese booze-up with the Bulls – who were taken to team recreation,” Dario replied. “Which, by the way, wasn’t easy. We left because the booze-up with Nonoda will be on another day.”

“A real team. What do we call ourselves?”

“Christopher!”

“No, not Christopher. We’ll be called Team RS – like Rote Stier, but Richard Stern.”

Alexandra rolled her eyes, Adam looked from Christopher to Dario and back, confused, Christopher was enjoying himself.

“We haven’t had team building yet – the time has come today. First, dinner at an izakaya, then bar hopping, then a strip club, and in the morning, my favorite game – guess where we are. The main task of the marathon is to keep track of each other during the entire event. We value and need every soldier.”

Dr. Bradshaw was looking up at Christopher, Christopher was looking at him. Adam wanted to object – but his vocal cords wouldn’t comply, for some reason, his palms went sweaty.

“Those types of marathons are contraindicated for Richard, actually,” he said.

“But we’ve got a doctor on board.”

“You can’t heal what’s dead.”

“I get it. I, also, nearly got killed a year ago, abdominal gunshot wound, wanna see?”

Christopher was already pulling up his red hoodie, but a loud shout from the approaching man stopped him.

“What are you doing here?!” Richard roared.

“Same thing as you!”

Christopher stood from the armrest and moved towards him, Dario for some reason thought they were about to fight, but they hugged.

“He was undressing,” he spoke.

Alexandra wanted to say that it’s what they teach at the Circus, but remained silent.

Without a word, she approached Richard when Christopher let him go. Richard pulled her close, she wrapped her arms around his waist, putting her hands under his jacket, trying not to press to his stomach but hold firmly onto his back. Warm breath was on her temple, she nuzzled his neck, under his chin, his fingers were already stroking her hair. They both forgot that both British spies and hotel guests are looking at them.

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Примечания

1

The first book from ‘Poets and Liars’ series, ‘Incredible Spy Detective’ (Stella Fracta), tells about the first stage of the Great Work – nigredo – and the adventures of the spy Richard in Dante Alighieri’s Inferno in the company of Alexandra Stern, Christopher Marlowe, and William Blake.

2

The serial killer Heartthrob is a character in the novels ‘The Knight, the Beauty, the Beast, the Fool’ (Stella Fracta) and ‘Murder Gene’ (Stella Fracta) about an FBI detective investigation in Baltimore, Maryland.

3

‘Cats Don’t Drink Wine’ is a novel by Stella Fracta.

4

Dario Fisher (aka Dario Pesce) and Commissioner Clément are the main characters of the novel ‘Cats Don’t Drink Wine’ (Stella Fracta), about an Italian vineyard in Barolo and the legend of a great alchemist, and the philosophical novel ‘Storyteller from Whitechapel’ (Stella Fracta), about a police investigation using hermeneutics in London.

5

Sir Leigh McKellen is a character from the novels ‘Incredible Spy Detective’ and ‘The Unnamed Violin’ by Stella Fracta; also appears in the novel ‘Cats Don’t Drink Wine.’

6

Dr. Adam Bradshaw (aka Good Doctor) is a character from the novels ‘The Unnamed Violin’ (Stella Fracta) and ‘Murder Gene’ (Stella Fracta).

7

Formula One fans will recognize the Red Bull Racing team – champions who make dreams a reality, whose successes inspired the author to endow Rote Stier and the Bulls, the characters of the adventure novel, with the features of icons.

8

The high-tech corporation Honda became the prototype of Nonoda, the great minds creating the cars of the future. Any coincidence is a consequence of borrowing creative ideas that were expressed by representatives of Red Bull Racing and Honda in the media.

9

From Russian ‘medved’ meaning bear.

10

From German 'Bär' meaning bear.