Classics fantasy – 10

– 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

NEW GOVERNOR

On the Island of the Lost Ships from the moment of departure of the submarine of an event took its course.

When the captain Sleyton fell, struck by a bullet, Flores silently stood over the lying blood-stained governor, then suddenly pulled Maggie inclined over it a hand and is short, but imperatively told it:

– Leave!

The crying Maggie, having pressed the child, left.

Flores bent to the captain with an evil sparkle in the blinked eyes.

The captain Sleyton was his rival in love and in ambitious plans. They had old scores. Having sated with a type of the prostrate, dying enemy, Flores suddenly raised Sleyton and pushed off it in water.

– It will be so best of all – he told and, having addressed islanders, shouted: – Hey, you! The captain Feargus Sleyton is killed, and his body is buried by me! The island of the Lost Ships has to elect the new governor. I offer myself. Who objects?

Islanders gloomy were silent.

– It is accepted. Pick up wounded and guns. We go!

And he walked towards the new residence, rejoicing that everything was resolved so soon. However his pleasure was incomplete. Some unpleasant, disturbing, still not clear thought disturbed it as a silent toothache which just about will pass into sharp. Flores walked on the familiar “streets”, a planked footway thrown through the ships crossed the semi-decayed decks, rose by “mountains” of the big ships which are highly sitting in water, went down to “valleys” of broad-bottomed vessels, and some uneasy not clear thought everything drilled his brain…

Having tarried at one transition, he heard voices of Irish O’Gara and the old man Bokko following it.

– As a dog, in water … – Bokko said.

– It cannot wait for it! – O’Gara answered.

Voices broke off.

“And so it that – Flores thought, getting aboard an old frigate. – Discontent!” And Flores remembered the gloomy silence accompanying it election.

Flores was not mistaken. Even too simplified way of a funeral of the governor made an unpleasant impression on the coarsened, run wild islanders.

Flores was not silly. Approaching the governor’s residence which was by a frigate Elizabeth, the new governor already considered the plan of action.

Having entered the big, perfectly arranged cabin – the former office of the captain Sleyton – Flores fell to a deep leather chair, having collapsed with an independent and at the same time proud air. Then it loudly slapped three times in a palm just as Sleyton, is even better – more distinctly and more loudly.

On a threshold the Black appeared.

Flores Posverlil eyes his black face, but could read nothing on it.

– A bean – Flores told – where at Sleyton the clothes were stored? Spend me and show.

Bob who did not express surprise at the sight of Flores on Sleyton’s place was struck with expressly polite address of the new governor instead of former – familiar.

But in it Flores had the calculation: to show a difference of the changed situation. And he was not mistaken. The bean somehow shrank and, having hasty begun to mince to an exit, answered respectful politely:

– I ask you.

They entered the big dark cabin turned into wardrobe. Two walls were busy with cases. Nearly a half of a cabin were occupied by the huge chests of a black oak with a carving fettered by the become green copper with silver.

The Black opened sliding doors of cases. In them in a big order suits of various eras, professions, nationalities – as in wardrobe the Bolshoi opera Theatre hung.

– There are civilian suits – the Black explained, taking out the ancient frock coats smelling of dampness with high collars, wide tops, color and silk vests.

Flores negatively shook the head.