Читать книгу Classics fantasy – 10 - A. Belyaev - Страница 18

The old man Kingman is Viviana’s father – very much was delighted to return of the daughter. He did not hope to see any more it as Viviana Kingman appeared in the list of the died passengers of the steamship “Veniamin Franklin”. Was to marriage of the daughter Kingman kindly favorable disposed. He only shortly asked Gatlinga, meeting him:

– Profession?

– The engineer – Gatling answered.

– Well. Business … – And, having thought, Kingman added: – In Europe, apparently, there is a belief that we, the American rich men, dream to give the daughters for the burned-through European counts. It is incorrect. Fools exist everywhere, and the American fools wish to become related with European, but I prefer the husband who made the way in life for the daughter. Besides I at you in unpaid to a debt: you saved my daughter! – And Kingman strong shook hands with Gatlinga.

Once, when young spouses sat over the map, discussing the plan of the travel conceived by them, phone rang out, and Redzhinald, having taken the call, heard a familiar voice of Simpkins who asked appointments “on an important issue”. Before agreeing, Gatling loudly told in phone tube:

– It you, Simpkins? Hello! You want to see us? – also looked interrogatively at the wife.

– Well, let will arrive – Viviana quietly answered.

– We wait for you – Redzhinald ended telephone conversation.

At Simpkins everything became soon – “for hundred twenty percent rather, than at absolute Americans” as he spoke.

Gatling heard noise of the approached car soon. Simpkins was and at doors started talking:

– News! Large news!

– What is, Simpkins? – asked Gatling. – Really one more of your criminals was the honest person?

– I opened a riddle of a crime of the captain Feargus Sleyton!

– In what this riddle?

– So far it is, um, the evidence which is not subject to announcement…

– Then you did not tell anything new, Simpkins! On the Island we knew that Sleyton has a shadowy past.

– But what! I came to offer you one project – perhaps, to ask for your help.

– We listen to you.

– I should open Sleyton’s riddle up to the end. How you will treat the project once again to visit the Island of the Lost Ships?

– You are incorrigible, Simpkins! – told Gatling. – The world is of interest as in it there are criminals to you.

– Well, you look at it as on sport. But why you burst out laughing?

– We burst out laughing therefore – Viviana answered – that we just discussed your project before your arrival.

– To go to the Island and to open Sleyton’s riddle? – the Simpkins surprised and pleased asked.

– Not absolutely so. We are interested in secrets of other criminal more…

– Another? Really I do not know about it? – Simpkins became interested. – Who this criminal?

– The Sargasso Sea – smiling, Viviana answered. – Unless it ruined the ships a little? To reveal secrets of this criminal sea, to warn others – here our purpose.

– In a word, we go to a scientific expedition for studying of the Sargasso Sea – finished Gatling.

– Here it that! But I hope that you will not refuse to take me with yourself in order that I could make the business in passing…

– Certainly, Simpkins! But what sense to you to go? Sleyton is killed…

Симпкинс significantly moved with eyebrows.

– Sleyton is not necessary to me any more. But here interests of others are mixed. On the Island I managed to get some documents.

– Really?

– Симпкинс does not linger – the detective fatly noticed. – But, unfortunately, I took not all documents. They should be got, and then everything will become clear.

– Interests of others? That is another matter. We go, Simpkins!

– When you sail?

– I think, in a month…

– Who else with you?

– The oceanographer is professor Thomson, two of his assistants, team, and more than nobody.

– So, we go. You know my address. – And, having taken leave, Simpkins hasty left, and Gatlingi went deep into studying of the card again.

– Here look – Redzhinald pointed to the card – this straight line drawn as on a ruler – a way from New York to Genoa. We will go on this way to the three hundred twentieth degree of east longitude and we will curtail on the South – and Gatling made a mark a pencil.

The new visitor prevented them from working. Professor Thomson – the famous researcher of life of the sea entered. After fussy Simpkinsa Thomson struck with the tranquility and even sluggishness. This the person, good-natured, inclined to completeness, never hurried; but it was necessary to be surprised how much he managed to make.

Gatling hospitably met Thomson.

– You study our way? – he asked and, having by the way darted a glance at the card, told: – I think, it is better for us to head to the south, for Bermuda at once, and from them to go on the northeast. But we still will talk about it. Today I received three boxes of the equipment for chemical and photographic laboratories. The aquarium is ready and already established. Tomorrow the library ordered according to my list will be received. In a week our biological laboratory will be equipped quite. And how at you by an engineering part?

– For about three weeks – Gatling answered. – In a month we can throw down a challenge Sargassam.

Thomson nodded. He understood that the word “call” means. Gatling bought the small, outdate for the military purposes Defiant ship for an expedition, and it under the direction of Gatlinga was adapted for the peace purposes. Its guns gave way to devices for a pulling of drags. Except biological laboratory, a number of storerooms for storage of scientific production was arranged. The Gatling worked much to adapt the ship for swimming among seaweed of the Sargasso Sea. On a nasal part the sharp cutter which had to cut seaweed was fixed into Kiel of the ship. That seaweed did not prevent operation of the screw, it was protected by the special cylinder from the metal gauze.

The radio set, two easy tools and machine guns on a case of collision with islanders supplemented the equipment.

All participants of an expedition worked with such hobby and diligence that the ship was ready to withdrawal even before the appointed term.

At last hour of withdrawal came. Participants already were by the ship. Waited only for Simpkins. The big crowd familiar and just curious stood on the embankment.

– Where it got lost? – Gatling was perplexed, looking for hours. – Forty minutes of the third.

– Let’s wait a little – professor Thomson told.

Rub… Half of the fourth… Simpkins is absent everything. The captain hurried with withdrawal. “It is necessary to get out before twilight of a coastal strip with the big movement – he said – especially as fog approaches”.

Decided to sail away to four. The siren is heart-breaking cried as a wounded fantastic giant cat… and the ship sailed away. From the coast waved hats and scarfs.

Suddenly several people standing at the edge of pier jumped aside aside, and on their place there was Simpkins who got wet, disheveled with the hat which got off on a nape. He violently shouted, waving hands.

The captain “Defiant” swore and ordered to reverse. And Simpkins already fell down in the boat and floated to the ship, without ceasing to wave a hand.

– Thousand apologies! – he shouted, climbing a ladder. – Awfully hurried… An unforeseen delay … – And it appeared on the deck.

– What is with you? – poluispuganno, полунасмешливо asked Vivian, inspecting Simpkins.

His nose swelled, on cheekbones bruises were seen.

– Anything… small boxing with the old acquaintance, Cross-eyed Jim… Such unexpected meeting! Escaped, the villain; his happiness! If I did not hurry … – And, calming myself, he added: – Nothing, will leave. It is a small game… I will make a lotion, and everything will pass.

Fog tightened coast. The ship went slowly. From time to time the siren shouted.

– Damp, we go down – Viviana told and went down with the husband in biological laboratory. There already professor Thomson and two assistants – Tamm and Müller worked.

The laboratory represented itself quite capacious room with a big square window in a wall and two hexagonal windows in a ceiling. The left side was taken by photographic laboratory, right – chemical. Over wide tables with boxes, as in drugstores, regiments with books. On empty seats of walls various jails, harpoons, regiments and shelves with bubbles and medicines are strengthened. Each span of the area is used. Even on a ceiling oval boxes what are used by naturalists, and spring scales are attached. In the middle of laboratory there was a huge table. Here microscopes, accessories to preparation, stuffing of effigies and preparation of herbariums were located: scalpels, scissors, tweezers, press. Several stools with the rotating seats were strengthened so that could move along a table. Thomson slowly went on laboratory, slowly rearranged banks, humming in a low tone, and work was argued in his hands.

Evening passed enough drearily. And at night the siren did not allow to sleep. By the morning the siren calmed down, and Viviana fell asleep a sound, healthy sleep.

Morning came solar, clear. Had coffee on the deck, under an awning. The ocean sighed dark blue waves exactly and rhythmically, fresh sea air poured in cheerfulness; and, having forgotten the nightmares and doubts, Viviana told:

– As it is good, Redzhinald that we went to this travel!

– Still – Simpkins who already removed bandages responded for it – we will be able to open Sleyton’s riddle.

– And riddles of the Sargasso Sea – professor Thomson thoughtfully told. – Tamm, prepare a drag. It is necessary to poissledo-vat a bottom.

While Tamm equipped a drag to descent, Thomson continued:

– The sea is a multystoried building. In each “floor” there live the inhabitants who do not rise in top and do not go down to lower “floors”.

– Well, it, we will put, not only in the sea – told Simpkins. – And on the earth the inhabitant of the cellar “is not accepted” in the dress circle…

– A small difference – Müller put in a ward, people from the cellar could live also in “dress circle” as you speak, and sea inhabitants… for them it would be death. If deep-water fish carelessly rises above the set limit, she will become torn there as the boiler when its walls do not maintain internal pressure explodes.

– Um… so sea inhabitants of “dress circle” can sleep peacefully, without being afraid of attack from below?

– In each “floor” there are predators.

Tamm lowered a drag – a rectangular iron frame with a bag from network. Stones were attached to a bag, for weight.

– On what depth to lower? – Tamm asked, unwinding a cable together with Müller.

– Meters on six hundred – Thomson answered.

All silently watched work.

– To decelerate! – Thomson told.

The captain made the order.

– Well, something to us was sent by destiny?

Two sailors came to the rescue of Müller and Tamm.

Hardly the drag appeared on a surface as Tamm and Müller at the same time screamed:

– Linofrina!

All with curiosity started considering a sea monster. All fish as though consisted of a huge mouth with big teeth, not less huge bag stomach and a tail. On a chin of this monster there was a branchy appendage (for a bait of fishes as Thomson explained), and on the top jaw – something like a trunk with a thickening in the middle.

– It is the shining body, so to speak, own electric lighting.

– And why to it lighting? – asked Simpkins.

– It lives in depth where the beam of the sun does not get.

– To live in an eternal gloom – too pleasure! Managed them to choose such unsuccessful apartment!

– Will even more surprise you if I tell that they test for each square centimeter of the surface weight in several honeycombs of kilograms. But they do not even notice it and, believe, feel perfectly.

– Look, look, sargassa! – Viviana exclaimed suddenly, running up to a handrail.

On the blue surface of the ocean the separate rounded kisteobrazny bushes painted in orange and golden and olive colors really were seen.

All were delighted to sargassa as though they met the old acquaintance.

Between August second and sixth the ship went already near Bermuda. On the third of August just separate bushes of seaweed floated. They were an oval form, but under easy whiff of the southern wind were extended in long strips. The Gatling burned from impatience rather to try the technical devices on continuous sargassa. At last continuous meadows of sargass appeared on the seventh of August. Now, on the contrary, the blue smooth surface of the ocean looked out islands among an olive carpet.,

– Here it, “the curtailed sea” as his ancient Greeks called – Thomson told.

The Gatling with nervousness watched how it will cope “Defiant” with this web of seaweed. But its nervousness was vain: the ship almost did not reduce speed. It cut sargassa, and they parted, baring the long dispersing blue films of water on both parties of the ship.

– Perhaps, your precautions were excessive – professor told. – Eventually, for modern vessels of a sargassa absolutely do not constitute such danger any more. And in general their “impassability” is exaggerated.

Having caught several seaweed, Thomson began to consider them. Viviana observed too.

– Here you see – he explained to her – white stalks? These are already died off. Sargassa, broken by wind and taken by a current in the Caribbean Sea, rush on the North. Five and a half months are required that they passed a way from Florida to the Azores. And during this time they not only keep life, but also ability of fructification. Some sargassa make the whole circular trip, returning home to themselves, to the Caribbean Sea, and then make a secondary trip. Others get in a circular ring and die off.

– Ah! What is it? Live! – screamed from Vivian’s unexpectedness.

Thomson burst out laughing.

– It is the Australian fad-tryapichnik, and these are aktenna-riya – the most curious inhabitants of the Sargasso Sea. You see how they adapted? Not to distinguish them from an alga!

Really, painted in brown color, speckled by white spots, with the torn shapes of a body, ak-tennariya extremely resembled seaweed of the Sargasso Sea.

Chapter 17