Free The Dead Mountaineer's Inn by Arkady Strugatsky Page B

to.”
    â€œWell, I have,” Simone said. He finished me off with two shots and broke at last into his creepy giggle. I lay my cue across the table.
    â€œThere’s no one left to play with, Simone,” I said bitterly. “I guess now you can blow your nose in your prize by yourself.”
    Simone grabbed the handkerchief and solemnly tucked it into his breast pocket.
    â€œExcellent,” he said. “What shall we do now?”
    I thought about this.
    â€œI think I’ll have a shave. It’s almost lunch.”
    â€œWhat about me?” Simone asked.
    â€œYou can play some pool with yourself,” I advised. “Or go to Olaf’s room. Do you have any money? If you do, they’ll greet you with open arms.”
    â€œAh,” Simone said. “I’ve already been there.”
    â€œWhat—already?”
    â€œI lost two hundred crowns to Olaf. He plays like a machine—not a single mistake. It’s not even interesting. I set Barnstoker on him. He’s a magician, after all, maybe he can pull a card trick on him …”
    We went out into the hallway and immediately bumped into the child of Du Barnstoker’s beloved deceased brother. The kid stood in our way, its black bulging goggles gleaming brazenly at us. It asked for a cigarette.
    â€œHow was Hinkus?” I asked, pulling out a pack. “Is he totally soused?”
    â€œHinkus? Um …” The kid lit the cigarette and, curling its lips into a circle, puffed out some smoke. “Not totally, but he kicked the first bottle and started on another one.”
    â€œOho,” I said. “On his second already …”
    â€œWhat else is there to do here?” the kid asked.
    â€œWere you drinking with him?” Simone asked with interest. The kid snorted haughtily.
    â€œNot likely! He barely noticed me. After all, Kaisa was there …”
    It occurred to me that here was an opportunity to figure out definitively whether I was talking to a boy or a girl. So I laid my trap.
    â€œYou were in the pantry then?” I said insinuatingly.
    â€œYes. So what? The police don’t allow that?”
    â€œThe police just want to know what you were doing there.”
    â€œThe scientific community, too,” Simone added. It appeared that we’d had the same idea.
    â€œDo I need a permit to drink coffee?” the child inquired.
    â€œNo,” I answered. “And what else were you doing there?”
    Now she’ll … that is to say,
it
will say something like, “I had a nibble,” or “I wolfed down two sandwiches.”
    â€œNothing,” the child said coolly. “Coffee and pastries with cream. That’s all that happened in the pantry.”
    â€œSweets before dinner aren’t good for you,” Simone said reproachfully. He was clearly disappointed. I was too.
    â€œAs for getting drunk in the middle of the day: that’s not my cup of tea,” the kid concluded victoriously. “I’ll leave that to Hinkus.”
    â€œFair enough,” I muttered. “I’m going to go shave.”
    â€œAny more questions, officer?” the kid called after us.
    â€œNo. Peace be with you,” I said.
    The door slammed—the kid had retired to its room.
    â€œI think I’ll have a little bite to eat,” Simone said, lingering on the landing. “Come on, Inspector—there’s still an hour before lunch …”
    â€œI know what kind of a bite you’re looking for,” I said. “Go on, I’m a family man, Kaisa doesn’t interest me.”
    Simone chuckled and said, “If you’re such a family man, can you tell me, was that a boy or a girl? I’m stumped.”
    â€œGo play with Kaisa,” I said. “Leave the puzzles to the police … By the way, were you the one who pulled that prank with the shower?”
    â€œI wouldn’t have dreamed of