Читать книгу The Sandman онлайн

128 страница из 143

Reidar is walking barefoot along a corridor lined with dark portraits.

The snow outside is casting an indirect light, like a pale darkness.

In the reading room with its shiny leather furniture he stops and looks out of the huge window. The view is like a fairytale. As if the king of winter had blown snow across a landscape of apple trees and fields.

Suddenly he sees flickering lights on the long avenue leading from the gates to the front of the house. The branches of the trees look like embroidered lace in the glow. A car approaching. The snow swirling into the air behind it is coloured red by its rear-lights.

Reidar can’t recall inviting anyone else to join them.

He is just thinking that Veronica will have to take care of the new arrivals when he sees that it’s a police car.

Reidar stops and puts the bottles down on a chest, then goes back downstairs and pulls on the felt-lined winter boots beside the door. He heads out into the cold air to meet the car as it arrives in the broad turning circle.