Читать книгу Beau Ideal - Percival Christopher Wren - Страница 10

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“Now, my friend,” said the American, “we can attend to our own little affairs!... Do you know that our meeting in here is one of the most astounding things that have ever happened?... Do you know you are the one man in all the world I have been looking for!... And this is where I find you!... I did my damnedest—and then Providence took a hand.... Heaven helps those, etc....”

“I am afraid I don’t quite understand,” began the Englishman.

“You certainly don’t.... I don’t myself.... We’re dreaming, of course. It’s delirium. We aren’t in any silo.... You aren’t John Geste.”

“But I am John Geste!” gasped the Englishman.

“You aren’t John Geste and I didn’t spot you directly you said ‘Stout fella,’ in English. And I didn’t hear you call your wife ‘Stout fella’ at Brandon Abbas when you were kids and ... Oh, my God!

“Where’s your hand, man.... Oh, John Geste! John Geste!... We’ll be out of here to-morrow, boy.... We can’t die here. God doesn’t mean us to die and rot in this hole that was ordained to be our meeting-place.... Ordained from the beginning of Time as the place where I should find you, after all.... And Isobel’s well and only waiting to be happy as soon as she hears you’re coming home to—er—tea, John Geste!... And I was to tell you Michael didn’t take the ‘Blue Water’ from under the cover. It wasn’t he who stole it.... And I’m going mad, John Geste—mad with joy—and starvation, and weakness, and happiness....”

“Hadn’t noticed the happiness much,” said the Englishman. “What are you gibbering about, my dear chap? Who are you? How do you know my name—and about Isobel?”

He coughed slightly. “I’m delirious, I suppose.... Both delirious.... Both dreaming....”

“We’re both dreaming the same dream then, John Geste.... I want to tell you....”

An ominous clink of metal and a sigh were audible above the feeble croaking of his voice.

“Here, what’s up?... You listening?... Here, wake up.”

The Englishman had collapsed and lay inert, unresponsive, either in a faint or the last sleep of all.