“We want to speak to the priest,” he announced presently to the old biddy who opened the door to them. She led them down a cold corridor. “What have you brought me, gentlemen?” the little old priest asked them with some distrust, wiping away the crumbs of his tea with his hand kerchief. “The thing is, reverend, we have a rather unusual request.” “Be sure that I will do all in my modest power to help you. Do please sit down,” the clergyman pointed to two worn plush armchairs. “Just as long it is nothing illegal. You realise…” “Absolutely. Our problem is: we’ve got so mething that we would like to place in your safekeeping because we have reached the con clusion that you are the best person to look after this kind of thing. Unless you decline to help us, that is.” “But yes, of course,” the priest nodded his fluffy head in some fright, “that is,… But what is it, if you don’t mind my asking?”
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“Just a minute.” It was Dr Maršálek who spoke as he removed the cat from inside his coat and placed it on the crocheted mat on the table. Then he arranged it elegantly and stepped away to admire his work from further back. “We’ve brought you a cat.” The priest touched the cat. Then he reddened all the way down to his dog-collar. “How dare you!” he blustered. “If you think the times we live in allow you to do such… I don’t know what to call it… in short, take your animal away at once or I shall be obliged to summon the protection of the forces of the law.” “Please don’t be angry,” Dr Maršálek sought to calm him down. “The cat’s dead. I’m a doctor, I know these things.” “I should hope so,” the old man fulminated. “What’s all this about?” “We’re coming to that. This cat is dead and by its own testimony it’s been dead for quite some time. Except it isn’t decomposing and what’s more it talks.”
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THE DEAD CAT
Ukázka elektronické knihy, UID: KOS201761
“Can’t say I’ve noticed!” snapped the clergyman. “So ask it something!” “I’m not here for you to make fun of, sir!” “All right, I’ll ask it something. Listen,” he leaned over the cat, “we don’t want you, so we’re handing you over to the priest here. Do you know what a priest is?” “A priest is a man,” the cat replied, “who gains his livelihood by trying to convince others to be lieve in something which they cannot believe in of themselves. Part of this belief is providing the priest with a living.” “See,” said the reporter with some malice to the thunderstruck priest, “totally logical.” “Forgive me, I don’t understand. What do you want from me?” “Up to a point the cat has explained that itself. You are simply predisposed by your calling to be lieve in things that are otherwise barely believable. No offence meant. And in a way this cat is one of those things. So if you would be so kind as to take charge of it. It’s nothing to do with us.”
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Ukázka elektronické knihy, UID: KOS201761