Читать книгу Classics fantasy – 10 - A. Belyaev - Страница 6

It seemed that the steamship is motionless. But, apparently, some slow current carried away it on the middle of the Sargasso Sea: even more often the semi-decayed and become green fragments of the ships began to meet on the way. They appeared as dead persons, with naked “edges” – frames and the broken masts, some time followed the ship and slowly departured afar. By nights Simpkins was frightened by “ghosts”: from the green surface of the sea there were suddenly some columns of pale fog reminding people in shrouds and slowly slid, waved and thawed… It evaporations in those places where in a continuous carpet of seaweed there were “ice-holes” escaped.

In one of moonlight nights some half-ruined brig of the Dutch construction close approached the steamship. It was painted in black color with bright gilding. Its mast and a part of bulvarok were demolished, брашпиль is broken.

With the mixed feeling of curiosity and horror watched Vivian at this dead ship. Perhaps, this their future; time will come – and their steamship will also rush by the sea, not recovered by any human being. And suddenly she screamed:

– Look, look, Gatling!

Having leaned against the broken mast, there was a person in a red cap. In beams of the bright moon on dark, almost black face teeth sparkled. He smiled, smiled from ear to ear. At his legs the bottle lay.

Consciousness that they not one that in this green desert there is one more living human being, excited all. Симпкинс and Gatling loudly shouted and waved hands.

The person in a red cap, still smiling, waved a hand, but it is somehow strange as if having shown something behind itself. And the hand fell at once as a lash. The moon came for a cloud, and the person already died it is visible. But the brig swam up closer and closer to the steamship.

At last the brig already almost closely approached a ship board. At this moment the moon ascended and lit a strange and terrible picture.

The skeleton was tied to a fragment of a mast. Clothes tatters still remained on it. The escaped bones of hands dangled on wind, but the others dropped out of shoulder joints for a long time and rolled on half of the deck. Face skin remained, dried up by the hot sun. On this pergament face the skull smile sparkled. The semi-decayed red cap covered its top.

One moment, and Gatling jumped on the deck of a brig.

– What do you do, Gatling? The brig can depart from the steamship. Then you died.

– Do not worry, Ms., I will be in time. There is something interesting.

The Gatling ran up to a skeleton, grabbed the sealed bottle and jumped on the deck of the steamship while the brig departed already almost on meter.

– Madman! – the turned pale Ms. Kingman met Gatlinga, rejoicing to its safe return. – Well, for the sake of what, really, you so risked? – asked Vivian, looking at a bottle. – We have enough this good.

– And here we will look. – The Gatling beat off a neck of a bottle and took the semi-decayed leaf of bluish paper. The faded, almost red letters could be sorted.

Obviously, by a goose quill, with a strange stroke and curls, it was written:

“Whoever you were, a Christian or incorrect into whose hands this bottle will get, I ask and I conjure you to execute my last will. If you find me after my death on a brig, take money that lie in a white leather bag, in a captain’s cabin, 50 000 guldens gold. From them take 10 000 guldens to yourself, and give 40 000 guldens to my wife, Marta Tes-sel, in Amsterdam, Morskaya Street, own house. And if the brig sinks, and one you will find a bottle in the sea, send it, Marta Tessel, my wife, my last greeting. Let will forgive me if upset her in what… All our died… All crew to the sailor… Carat, Gubert… the first… I one am living, so far. Week… without food… I will become attached to a mast… who will notice… Farewell… Gustav Tessel. Brig of ‘March’, 1713 September of the 15th day”.

When Gatling terminated to read, there came silence.

– As it is terrible and strange! We received an assignment from the dead person to say hello it to the wife who two hundred years as in a grave … – And, having shuddered, Ms. Kingman added: – How many awful secrets this sea keeps!

– Fifty thousand guldens – Simpkins thought aloud, seeing off eyes the being removed brig. – How many it will be at the rate on today’s number?.