Mamista by Deighton Len

Author:Deighton, Len [Deighton, Len]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: thriller, Adventure, Historical, Mystery
ISBN: 9780099104919
Amazon: 0099104911
Goodreads: 1409971
Publisher: Arrow Books
Published: 1991-07-01T07:00:00+00:00

They had taken Charrington to the best bedroom of a house across the yard from the stables. The room might have come undisturbed from the last century. Charrington – filthy and unshaven – lay full-length on a massive carved oak double bed. Under him a handstitched bedcover was soiled with his blood and phlegm. Above him hung a faded portrait of a family, wide-eyed and ill at ease in their best Sunday clothes. The only light came from two candles that flickered in the draught. They were placed on each side of the bedhead so that Charrington looked like a dead saint on a catafalque.

Lucas put down his syringe and watched his patient. A sky packed with stars showed through the broken window and, defiling the eastern horizon, a mauve smear of cloud. It was the darkness before dawn: that time of the morning when human resources sink to their lowest. It was that time when restless sleepers awoke, a time when soldiers attacked, babies cried and the mortally ill succumbed.

As the shot of morphine took effect Charrington’s writhing body went slack and his head twisted and fell back. His face was shiny with sweat. It seemed to tighten but this was an effect of the fluttering light. He was still conscious but he seemed unaware of Lucas or of anything else. Charrington was alone now and resigned to death.

Lucas looked at the first-aid bag that was open on the floor. He wanted to close it but it would be a gesture of resignation that he did not yet want to make. My God, it was a terrible way to die. He took a bottle of Cologne, wetted a handkerchief with it and bent over to dab it upon Charrington’s forehead. There was no response beyond a nervous twitch.

He heard footsteps on the stairs and then Inez appeared in the narrow doorway. She had an oil lamp that spilled light upon the floor and lapped over Charrington’s still form.

Without a word, without even turning to see her, Lucas stretched out his hand. She gave him the lamp and he placed it to provide a circle of light that left Charrington’s face in the rim of darkness. They watched him. He was so very calm now. The convulsive movements grew slighter and then they ceased. His whole body seemed to relax.

Lucas was aware of the close proximity of the woman. He could feel the warmth of her body and hear her breathing. She was taking deep gulps of air that might have been due to her exertions or emotion.

Moving the lamp a little, Lucas looked more closely at Charrington’s face. His eyes were open but there was no life in them. Lucas knew the woman was looking at him expecting him to do something, but everything he could think of had been done. He picked up the syringe, wrapped it in a cloth and put it in his bag. Then he nipped out the candles and bent down to blow fiercely across the lamp’s glass chimney, extinguishing its flame.

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