business — дело; профессия
to hit — ударять; поражать; /сленг/ убивать
low — низкий; тихий, низкий /о звуке/
Halston thought the old man in the wheelchair looked sick, terrified, and ready to die. He had experience in seeing such things. Death was Halston's business; he had brought it to eighteen men and six women in his career as an independent hitter. He knew the death look.
The house — mansion, actually — was cold and quiet. The only sounds were the low snap of the fire on the big stone hearth and the low whine of the November wind outside.
“I want you to make a kill (я хочу, чтобы вы убили: «совершили убийство»),” the old man said (сказал старик). His voice was quavery and high, peevish (его голос был дрожащим и высоким, сварливым). “I understand that is what you do. (я /так/ понимаю, это ваша профессия: «то, чем вы занимаетесь»)”
“Who did you talk to? (с кем вы разговаривали)” Halston asked (спросил Хэлстон).
“With a man named Saul Loggia (с человеком по имени Сол Лоджиа). He says you know him (он говорит, /что/ вы знаете его).”
Halston nodded (кивнул). If Loggia was the go-between, it was all right (если Лоджиа --- посредник, то все в порядке). And if there was a bug in the room (а если в комнате «жучок»;
anything — что-нибудь; все/вутвердит. предлож./; entrapment — провокацияпреступлениясцельюегоизобличения; to entrap — завлечьвловушку; запутать, обмануть; trap — ловушка/особ. капкан/; западня, засада
console — кронштейн, держатель; консоль; пультуправления; to build — строить; встраивать
yellow — желтый; пожелтевший/отстарости, болезни/; to mix — мешать, смешивать; all mixed — всеперемешанные
fear [fIq], urine ['jVqrIn], smooth [smHD]
“I want you to make a kill,” the old man said. His voice was quavery and high, peevish. “I understand that is what you do.”
“Who did you talk to?” Halston asked.
“With a man named Saul Loggia. He says you know him.”
Halston nodded. If Loggia was the go-between, it was all right. And if there was a bug in the room, anything the old man — Drogan — said was entrapment.
“Who do you want hit?”
Drogan pressed a button on the console built into the arm of his wheelchair and it buzzed forward. Closeup, Halston could smell the yellow odors of fear, age, and urine all mixed.
They disgusted him, but he made no sign. His face was still and smooth. “Your victim is right behind you,” Drogan said softly.
Halston moved quickly (Хэлстон двигался быстро). His reflexes were his life (быстрота реакции была для него жизненно важной: «его рефлексы были его жизнью»;
toset— сажать; помещать; file— напильник; tofile— шлифовать, затачиватьнапильником; pin— колышек; штырь; булавка
specially — особенно; tailor — портной; totailor — шить
barrel — бочка; ствол;hybrid — гибрид; что-тосоставленноеизразнородныхэлементов
tohang— вешать; висеть; spring— пружина; toload— грузить, нагружать; tospring-load — подпружинивать
tolay— класть, положить
point — точка; острие; topoint— указывать; направлять, наводить/оружие/
imagination— воображение;фантазия
tokneel— преклонятьколени; стоятьнаколенях), he felt that he knew this cat (он почувствовал, что знает эту кошку), although if he had ever seen one with such unusual markings (хотя если бы он когда-либо видел кошку с такими необычными отметинами) he surely would have remembered (/то/ наверняка бы ее запомнил).
couch [kaVC], hybrid ['haIbrId], palm [pRm], stare [stFq], unimaginative ['AnI'mxG(I)nqtIv], superstition ["sjHpq'stIS(q)n], although [Ll'DqV]
Halston moved quickly. His reflexes were his life and they were always set on a filed pin. He was off the couch, falling to one knee, turning, hand inside his specially tailored sport coat, gripping the handle of the short-barreled .45 hybrid that hung below his armpit in a spring-loaded holster that laid it in his palm at a touch. A moment later it was out and pointed at...a cat.
For a moment Halston and the cat stared at each other. It was a strange moment for Halston, who was an unimaginative man with no superstitions. For that one moment as he knelt on the floor with the gun pointed, he felt that he knew this cat, although if he had ever seen one with such unusual markings he surely would have remembered.
Its face was an even split (ее морда была словно расколота надвое;
to run
And the thought echoed back to Halston: We know each other, you and I. Then it passed. He put the gun away and stood up. “I ought to kill you for that, old man. I don't take a joke.”
“And I don't make them,” Drogan said. “Sit down. Look in here.” He had taken a fat envelope out from beneath the blanket that covered his legs.
Halston sat. The cat, which had been crouched on the back of the sofa, jumped lightly down into his lap. It looked up at Halston for a moment with those huge dark eyes, the pupils surrounded by thin green-gold rings, and then it settled down and began to purr.
Halston looked at Drogan questioningly (Хэлстон вопросительно посмотрел на Дрогана;
pussy — киска, кошечка; household — семейство; все кто живет в конкретном доме
“I can't believe this (я не могу в это поверить),” Halston said. “You hired me to hit a cat (вы наняли меня, чтобы я убил кошку)?”
“Look in the envelope, please (загляните в этот конверт, пожалуйста).”
Halston did (Хэлстон /так и/ сделал = открыл его). It was filled with hundreds and fifties (он =
fee — вознаграждение, гонорар
only — одинокий; единственный; to do — в утвердительных предложениях употребляется для усиления значения последующего глагола
perfect — совершенный; идеальный; aloof — сторонящийся; равнодушный
question ['kwesC(q)n], prefer [prI'fW], thousand ['TaVz(q)nd]
Halston looked at Drogan questioningly.
"He's very friendly," Drogan said. "At first. Nice friendly pussy has killed three people in this household. That leaves only me. I am old, I am sick ... but I prefer to die in my own time."
"I can't believe this," Halston said. "You hired me to hit a cat?"
"Look in the envelope, please."
Halston did. It was filled with hundreds and fifties, all of them old.
"How much is it?"
"Six thousand dollars. There will be another six when you bring me proof that the cat is dead. Mr. Loggia said twelve thousand was your usual fee?"