Good afternoon, my dear English
learners! Today I would like to introduce a new story that we will be reading
together: THE STAR-SENT KNAVES by Keith Laumer. It will be divided into several
posts with vocabulary notes and posted every day. Feel free to comment below
and write your questions or additional information about the text notes. Enjoy
the first part!!!
THE STAR
SENT KNAVES
When the Great
Galactic Union first encounters Earth ... is this what is going to happen?
I
Clyde W.
Snithian was a bald eagle of a man, dark-eyed, pot-bellied, with the large,
expressive hands of a rug merchant1. Round-shouldered
in a loose cloak, he blinked small reddish eyes at Dan Slane's travel-stained
six foot one.
"Kelly
here tells me you've been demanding to see me." He nodded toward the
florid man at his side. He had a high, thin voice, like something that needed
oiling. "Something about important information regarding safeguarding my
paintings."
"That's
right, Mr. Snithian," Dan said. "I believe I can be of great help to
you."
"Help
how? If you've got ideas of bilking2
me...." The red eyes bored into3
Dan like hot pokers.
"Nothing
like that, sir. Now, I know you have quite a system of guards here--the papers
are full of it--"
"Damned
busybodies! Sensation-mongers4!
If it wasn't for the press, I'd have no concern for my paintings today!"
"Yes
sir. But my point is, the one really important spot has been left
unguarded."
"Now,
wait a minute--" Kelly started.
"What's
that?" Snithian cut in.
"You
have a hundred and fifty men guarding the house and grounds day and
night--"
"Two
hundred and twenty-five," Kelly snapped.
"--but
no one at all in the vault5
with the paintings," Slane finished.
"Of
course not," Snithian shrilled. "Why should I post a man in the vault5? It's under constant
surveillance from the corridor outside."
"The
Harriman paintings were removed from a locked vault5," Dan said. "There was a special seal
on the door. It wasn't broken."
"By the
saints, he's right," Kelly exclaimed. "Maybe we ought to have a man
in that vault5."
"Another
idiotic scheme to waste my money," Snithian snapped. "I've made you
responsible for security here, Kelly! Let's have no more nonsense. And throw
this nincompoop6
out!" Snithian turned and stalked
away7, his cloak flapping8 at his knees.
"I'll
work cheap," Dan called after him as Kelly took his arm. "I'm an art
lover."
"Never
mind that," Kelly said, escorting Dan along the corridor. He turned in at
an office and closed the door.
"Now, as
the old buzzard9 said,
I'm responsible for security here. If those pictures go, my job goes with them.
Your vault5 idea's not
bad. Just how cheap would you work?"
"A
hundred dollars a week," Dan said promptly. "Plus expenses," he
added.
Kelly
nodded. "I'll fingerprint you and run a fast agency check. If you're
clean, I'll put you on, starting tonight. But keep it quiet."
1. rug merchant a merchant who sells rugs
2. bilking to get money from someone in a
dishonest way
3. bored into if someone’s eyes bore into you, they
look at you very hard and this makes you feel nervous
4. sensation – monger someone who spreads sensations
5. vault a strongly protected room in a bank
where money, gold etc is kept
6. nincompoop nonsense
7.
stalk away/off/out to walk in a way that shows you feel angry or offended
8.
flap
to move
noisily up and down or from side to side, especially in the wind
9.
buzzard avaricious or otherwise unpleasant
person
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