Читать книгу The Island of Golden Zandolie 4. The Blue Blood - Лилия Кадет - Страница 2

A distant, mountainous island lost in the Atlantic has become a second home for a former Dutch baker named Roger… and a real pirate den.

This place was nicknamed the Island of Golden Zandolie among various adventurers, rogues, smugglers and other random rabble. And this place was the last in the Caribbean, where real Indians still lived from time immemorial.

Some years ago, the long string of tragic events started with a sudden appearance on the island and then death of the alien Golden Zandolie and his brethren.

Then, for a very short time, the Island was ruled by his children, giant and sterile mutants, who scared away the entire local (human) population – everyone except the Indians and pirates.

And now on the Island there has come a time of anarchy, without any government, electricity, transport or communications. At one end of the islet was Jolly Roger Cove – home to the modern pirates of the Caribbean, and at the other end was an Indian reservation led by its chief, Dominic.

People, who left the island in horror and haste, did not even want to remember their past life in this deceptive tropical paradise.

It seemed as if the whole world had forgotten about the very existence of an entire state, albeit a small one. No one was in a hurry to help, although the territory of the Island of Golden Zandolie could now easily be called a zone of humanitarian crisis.

It played into the hands of Roger and his pirate friends. A tropical island with many secret bays and outlawed was an excellent transshipment point for all “gifts of the sea”.

What about the Indians? What was it like for them, who grew up on many modern benefits of civilization (light, communications, the Internet), to be completely cut off from the outside world?

Even before that, the Indians were avoiding any contacts with the rest of the island's population. They were living very simply and separately, on the most inaccessible coast. They even had to fish, lowering the boats along the ropes from the high rocky shore.

And now the Indians could freely settle all over the Island. However, for some reason they were in no hurry to do this…

There was one more power on the Island – the Big Eyes’ Dragon, that is, aliens. UFOs continued to fly everywhere, often emerging unexpectedly right from the depths of the sea.

It seemed that the Island of Golden Zandolie was a heavenly place full of pristine beauty and tranquility, where there was enough room for everyone, be it pirates, Indians or even aliens…

Roger, the ever-cheerful Dutchman of about sixty-five, short and bald, with round glasses on a red nose, was sitting on the seashore on the terrace of the garden of his “Jolly Roger” tourist complex with an uncorked bottle of beer and pondering.

Things were going well as never before! From a simple, humble keeper of pirate booty and restaurateur, Roger has become the “chief pirate”, the brain center of all operations in the region. His authority has grown just fabulously! Pirates and smugglers of all stripes sought advice and conflict resolution, trusting him with their goods and their secrets.

However, Roger has never been so lonely! Many of his friends – Scott, Julia, Denis, Zina and others – had left the island.

His beloved nephew Jean-Paul had gone as well.

It was painful to remember about Jean Paul… That time Roger got simply scared. He knew about the Paris scandal. He knew that his nephew had lost his memory and could not clearly explain his findings and discoveries of hybrid life on the Island. But Roger did not come to his aid. After all, then his BUSINESS would suffer! The pirates would never forgive him for that. The island did not need any glory, except for bad one!

When Jean-Paul was visiting his uncle on the Island, Roger was reluctant to share with him any information about local aliens and mutants. First, he himself has never seen a single UFO. Secondly, he had a premonition that it would all end badly! It was easier not to notice anything…

Eventually Jean-Paul stopped calling him. Roger was left all alone with his pirates…

Woof!…Oh yeah! Not quite alone! Next to Roger sat his devoted German Shepherd Dushka! Which, for sure, also missed all the friends and nephew of the old red-nosed Dutchman Roger…

Suddenly a dusty SUV appeared in the parking lot of the complex. Who could it be and where did he get the gasoline? But yes, a handful of castaway marauders could still remain somewhere on the island.

Roger reached for a gun in a drawer under the bar. Oh, troubled times, there were only bandits everywhere!

But no, this was Dominic, the former Indian consul and the current chief of all Indians! He probably imagined himself the owner of the Island – how important he has become, how fat!

“Hello, Dominic, Big Hog!”

“And hello to you too, Roger, Red Nose!”

“Pour you a glass of fire-water?”

“No, I came on business! I want to remind you and warn you… The Big Eyes’ Dragon is our patron from time immemorial! The aliens are on our side! Now the great moment has finally arrived – the whole Island is ours again!”

“Not quite yours! I'm here!”

“Till I allow you to! There are thousands of us and plus aliens!”

Roger calmly pulled out his gun and placed it on the table in front of him, still sipping his beer. There was an uneasy silence. Dominic's olive eyes threw lightning, even his long braid of black wavy hair trembled at the end from the hot wave of anger that swept the Indian chief from head to toe.

Dominic knew he has to say something in return. He was infuriated by the calm look of Roger, the sneer in his malicious look over his round glasses. The Dutchman was a short old man, and the Indian was completely square, as if hewn out of stone by a man of about forty! Dominic could probably have destroyed Roger on the spot, despite his gun and his dog!

At this very moment, the shepherd dog Dushka growled warningly, as if reading the thoughts of the chief.

“Okay, Roger, here we are! Live, as long as you don’t bother us. But it would be better if you closed your business and drove back to your Europe!”

Dominic turned around, got into the car and drove away quickly, kicking up clouds of dust.

What kind of people?! Not so long ago, the late mutant Ray, the leader of the rebels, was shouting “my Island!” and sending lightning with a glance. And now this chief of the Redskins!

How Roger lacks normal human communication, with Jean-Paul, with Scott, with others… Oh…

Roger threw out his empty beer bottle and poured himself some rum. He loved “Absolut”, but now it was difficult to get, like any other fuel…

He pulled out a satellite phone from the safe and looked around. There was no connection on the island for a long time. This device was secretly sold to him by one of the hastily leaving telecoms specialists – the company's emergency phone in case of hurricanes.

Thank goodness, Roger managed to keep the phone secret from the pirates and sometimes charge it on the sly at night. This was his last link with the outside world.

At first, he decided that he didn’t need anyone, that he was a god and a king on the island… The pirates praised him and trusted him the lion's share of the loot – how not to go slightly mad after all… Especially, when not much left of your brain after years of drinking…

That what Roger was pondering about, when he finally decided to call his nephew… How shameful!… Maybe, really, give up everything and go home to Holland? How much does he need, the old man?

Roger dialed a familiar Parisian number, smiled, and immediately switched from English to French in conversation.

“Jean-Paul! Salut! Ça va?”

“Uncle! Where are you calling from! Doesn’t matter! How on time! I recalled everything! All our adventures on the island, all our amazing discoveries! Mutants, aliens, all!! And most importantly, tomorrow I will meet with a real, live hybridomorph, that is, a mutant, right here in Paris! O! Uncle! Forgive me, I've been terrible lately! I was thinking only about my lost discoveries and ruined reputation!”

“It is wonderful that everything is working out for you, my boy! But wait! You said you met a real mutant in Paris? How did you find him? As far as I remember, all the mutants are now under water, by the reptilians!”

“No, uncle, I have not met the mutant yet, but I will meet tomorrow, I am sure that he is real!… Wait a minute! You said, “all mutants are now under water, by the reptilians!” Do you know something? Wait! You knew?! You knew something and hid it from me?!”

“Jean-Paul!”

“I was asking you questions! I was trying to remember! You assured me that you do not know anything that could help me… Why!?!?!”

“Because! Every time it comes to aliens and mutants, the world is ending! Finally, our business has blossomed like never before! Finally, peace and quiet! I fled from noisy Europe to retire in a tropical paradise! Dominic showed up today and declared war on me! What an impudent man! You see, the Big Eyes’ Dragon is on their side! Like these wild Indians are strongly needed by advanced reptilians, who are equally dexterous in flying and swimming in their UFOs!”

“Uncle, what are you talking about!!?!”

“So, you did not recall everything, it turns out! My dear boy! Okay, listen! Perhaps this is important for you… I am guilty before you, I confess… We have a whole underwater city of reptilians here. All the mutants, who were of already dying species, fled there!

“So, mutants, perhaps, are still alive, underwater? And there are aliens?”

“Not aliens, but reptilians – the real earthlings!”

“Where did you get all this?”

“All of you were discussing all of this right here, with me, when you were going to have dinner at the big table, and more than once!”

“Uncle! Wait! Real earthlings! I am hearing this for the first time! Or have I really not recalled everything!? I must return to the Island! And you will really help me this time! After all, last time I had a vacation by you for almost a month and did not know anything about aliens and mutants! Then I found out everything quite by accident, just before leaving for Paris! You knew everything! And remained silent!”

“Jean-Paul! Enough! I personally have not seen anything extraordinary on the Island! And I didn't want to feed you, a real scientist, with tales! But if this is important to you, then come. I will tell you all the legends, gossip, rumors, beliefs that I have heard over all years of my life here! About flying witches “soucouyant”, about people turning into birds and lizards, about black magic, dragons, a Great Serpent, a golden boiling lake under the ground and other nonsense!”

“There is gold on the island!?”

“Yes! Yes! And mutants have been mining gold for a long time – first for the alien Golden Zandolie, then for the Russian businessman from London, and now, probably, for the reptilians, if they’re still alive!!!”

“Uncle, sorry, but are you drunk?”

“Drunk! But not mad as yet! If you want the whole truth, so come on, fly in! Just remember. The Island of Golden Zandolie will eat you up. The Serpent and the Dragon guard their secrets well! It's better not to ask questions here!”

“Sorry, uncle, we'd better talk at another time! I was glad to hear your voice. Hope to see you soon! Say hi to my beloved dog Dushka!”

Sheepdog immediately barked, apparently hearing her nickname. Roger looked reproachfully at Dushka, gulped down the bottle of rum and went to bed.

How tired he had become, of everything!

The most remote and calm island in the world turned out to be the cosmodrome of all possible UFOs and the homeland of a variety of mutants with superpowers and even reptilians – the real earthlings!