Читать книгу Classics fantasy – 4 - A. Belyaev - Страница 2

The ocean steamship was called “Leviathan” by right. It was the real floating city with “streets”, gardens, the areas, movie theaters, concert halls, fountains, pools, sports grounds, gardens greenhouses of tropical plants. On soft carpets of long corridors the drilled footmen in a uniform quietly slid. Doors of cabins, walls, panels gleamed mahogany, sparkled the polished copper. In the rooms occupied by passengers there was a peculiar smell – mix of expensive spirits, soaps, cigars, leather suitcases and still something imperceptible, the ocean brought, probably, by fresh breath.

On the main open deck, under a wide awning, having taken cover from the heated beams of the sun, passengers had a rest. Convenient wicker white chairs were placed between palm trees, bushes of the blossoming oleanders and fragrant gimanantus. Fountains murmured.

Deep blue of Gulf Stream seemed motionless. Here and there reddish islands of the seaweed brought by a current from the Sargasso Sea were seen. Flying small fishes jumped out from water and flew near the ship, shining fins. They fell on water, again flew up as if wanted to entertain passengers.

– Oh, as hot! At least the breeze blew – told, being answerable, the portly, red-cheeked passenger of years of fifty. He sat in a deep chair and fanned with a white silk scarf. Perfectly sewed white suit, a massive gold ring, a gold chain of hours on a vest and gold points gave it a type of the successful businessman.

– Nevertheless it is fine! – looking through the lowered a little eyelids in the shining distance, it continued. – “Leviathan” – the real floating palace. With comfort, it is convenient and, the main thing, absolutely safely. So? What can happen to such giant?

And the passenger raised eyes on the neighbor, the person of uncertain years, in a light gray suit. It had a pale face, a hollow breast, big thoughtful black eyes, dense eyebrows, an aquiline nose. Frenchman? Spaniard? Commission agent? Land owner? You will not sort. In any case, not the millionaire…

Looking after rings of cigar smoke, the neighbor shrugged shoulders and answered with a deaf voice:

– I heard, “Leviathan” is insured for such sum that on only one annual insurance premiums it would be possible to construct the quite good coasting steamship.

– What do you want to tell these? – the fat man pricked up the ears and breathed heavily.

– You the businessman, and it is easy to you to draw a conclusion: if there was no risk, the steamship company would not throw out a heap of money for insurance. Swisses do not insure the dwellings against floods, and Dutches – against earthquakes … – the Person with a pale face became silent, and the businessman breathed heavily even stronger.

– Remember tragic destiny of “Titanic” – continued thin after a pause. – “Titanic” a little than conceded to “Leviathan”. And Pasifik? And Luzitaniya? Yes unless it is a little possible to bring similar examples. At the sea it is impossible to be charged for anything.

– Luzitaniya it was sunk by a mine during war. “Titanic” was lost, having run into an underwater iceberg – the fat man objected, considerably worrying. – On “Leviathan” there is a special device, some radio tool which signals about approach of the submarine. On a case of the fire the automatic alarm system is also installed…

– And the steamship after all is insured – thin did not calm down. – Collision in fog and unless is not enough reasons… And then… These palm trees, pools, concert halls – all this is good and whether the ship with enough boats and saving belts in case of accident is provided?

– I… do not know – the fat man answered.

– And I know, counted.

– Well and that?

– Two thirds of passengers will remain without boats – thin quietly answered.

– No, at you today simply bad mood, Don Hurges, and you want to spoil it and me! – the fat man exclaimed.

– — Don Hurges answered at all and slightly considerably grinned. – I only soberly see things. It is necessary to be always ready to everything… However why my words excited you, Mr. Williams? You so are afraid for the precious life?

– Not only for life – Williams mysteriously answered, fitfully brushing away the person with a scarf.

– Reasonably. There are values which are more expensive than own life – Hurges also mysteriously said.

From the average deck cheerful sounds of the jazz reached. Music distracted attention of the fat man from sad thoughts a little. Williams even began to pritopyvat in a step, but his face remained gloomy.

– You told, it is necessary to be ready to everything – he addressed Hurges again. – What readiness you had in a look? Psychological?

– Of course, psychological first of all – Hurges answered. – The one who is ready to everything for certain will not become puzzled during the first instant, this main thing will not give in to panic, and. We have to have the ready plan of rescue and ourselves, and those values which we carry.

– You have such plan? – Williams asked.

– Yes, I considered it to the smallest details still at home. I, apparently, provided everything: both fire and accident…

– It would be interesting to get acquainted with your plan, Don Hurges.

Hurges shrugged shoulders:

– It is unlikely it is useful to you. My baggage is small; I do not know yours. Each plan has to be individual.

– My baggage! – Williams heaved a deep sigh.

The jazz raved. Young couples danced on the middle of the deck. Laughter, cheerful exclamations were heard. The chosen by fate played with the intoxicating jazz sounds, in the joyful afternoon, with an azure and clean air of the ocean.

And suddenly short push. One of the dancing young guys fell. Laughter was heard.

– Earthquake… Vodotryaseniye…

– My God that it? – a tongue twister Williams uttered. He instantly turned pale. – Whether you cawed? – Williams spitefully looked at Hurges who was quietly smoking a cigar.

The steamship still cut ocean waters. Dances were started over again, however someone went to learn that he happened.

– Attention! Attention! – unexpectedly was distributed from loudspeakers on decks, floors, in corridors, cabins. – There was a small accident. Slightest danger to the vessel. We ask not to worry. The second change of crew has to come to work immediately.

– What happened? – was heard from everywhere.

Nobody could answer. The jazz rattled still, but dances fell apart.

Williams’s chair pulled with such force that he, being afraid to fall, grasped Hurges’s chair. Many passengers fell. The frightened woman cried. Its hysterical shout was picked up by others.

– Work involving all hands! – the voice from a loud-speaker was again carried. – Accident, but anything serious. Passengers are recommended to keep full calm. Disperse on cabins.

Williams almost jumped out of a chair and, uneasy, ran before Hurges.

– Business takes a serious turn, oh, damn! How you assume, we will not drown?

Hurges shrugged shoulders again.

– “Leviathan” has partitions – he answered. – If he received a hole, then water will not pass further the first partition. Besides we on one of “crowded” sea roads: Buenos Aires – London. “Leviathan” will cause the help on radio. And still it is necessary to be ready to everything.

The steamship sharply decelerated. The stern considerably fell. On the vessel panic began.

– Don Hurges, we sink! We sink! – almost Williams shouted. – It is necessary to be ready to everything… Your plan, Don Hurges?! I do not want to die! And I… My baggage… my life… Ecuador. Twenty two years of deprivations, work… Kegs… Boats… To sink… and when – not during a storm, at the sun… Calm… Mirage… Bad dream… Nightmare!

– Passengers are offered to put on saving belts – the team thundered.

– My God! My God, do not leave me! – Williams cried and, having clutched at the head, ran.

Hurges slowly moved to a cabin, took out from a suitcase a plate from dark metal with a chain and the lock on it, a bottle with a hermetic cover and went to a rostrum.

– Don Hurges, you here? I look for you on all steamship – Williams called it. On it there was already a saving belt. – And why you without belt? Unless it is not in your plan?

– Does not enter – Hurges answered. – My friend, the skilled captain, said to me that he against saving belts: they only extend sufferings of sinking… However, it concerned the cold seas. What after all happened to “Leviathan”?

– Nobody knows anything. Even the captain if only he does not hide the reasons…

“Leviathan” was doomed, in it there was no doubt left. The stern was covered by water. The order was heard: to lower boats. Panic bustle began. Near boats animal fight for existence was started. Hurges appeared the rights: there were not enough boats.

– Why you do not hurry to boats? – Hurges asked.

– Because I managed to draw up the plan and even to carry out it – Williams answered. The smile flashed on his turned pale person. – If only only they were not late… Oh, gold reigns over the person while he is living. I promised sailors a keg… And maybe, everything will manage. The radio operator transmitted a distress signal, and say that to us to the aid two steamships already hurry… Here they… Here.

– Steamships?

– Well.

Hurges uvidat sailors who dragged kegs, being torn through crowd to the boat hanging on a nose.

– Get quicker into the boat! – Williams shouted.

– I did not implement the plan yet – Hurges answered. It passed a chain throughout a link of an anchor chain, clicked the lock, attached a metal plate to a chain. Then quickly wrote a note, put it in a bottle, densely fitted a hermetic cover. He briefly answered amazed looks of Williams:

– It is my baggage. Result of my life.

Sailors flung away passengers and loaded kegs in the boat.

– An overload – shook-headed Hurges, looking at heavy kegs.

– I cannot leave them – Williams told.

The boat was floated. Ten sailors, Hurges, Williams, kegs with gold, crackers, a water barrel… The boat was overloaded and settled to boards. And drowning clung to boards. Sailors ruthlessly struck them a bargain oars, knives and fists.

– To manage to drive off quicker from the sinking steamship!. – Williams the shivering bloodless lips muttered.

The boat did not manage to sail also twenty meters as the steamship, having become a nose up, went to a bottom. Over the place of death the huge water column was reared, hard settled and rushed a mad shaft. The shaft rushed to the boat.

– End! – Williams screamed.

– Any end can be also the beginning – Hurges quietly answered and threw a bottle in water. It were his last words.

Water covered the boat, muffled the last shouts of drowning. In two hours to the accident site there arrived the first steamship which accepted distress signals.