Classics fantasy – 10

– 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?.

Part second

Chapter 6

LANDING PLACE

– Earth! Earth! Ms. Kingman! Gatling! Go here rather. We approach some harbor. Tops of masts and a pipe of steamships are visible already. Over there. Look… more to the left there!

The Gatling looked in the telescope.

– The harbor opened by you has devilishly strange appearance, Simpkins. This “harbor” extends on many miles: masts and pipes and again masts… But pay attention: any pipe does not smoke, and masts… Their equipment, sails?. Look, Ms. Kingman – and Gatling transferred her the telescope.

– Yes it rather some cemetery of the ships! – Viviana exclaimed. – Masts and pipes are broken, from sails there were one shreds. And then… where earth? I understand nothing…

– It is impossible to tell that and for me everything was clear, Ms. – Gatling answered – but I think that the situation is so: in the Sargasso Sea, in this standing swamp, obviously, there are the currents though which are very slowed down by seaweed. Obviously, we got to one of these currents which, alas, and brought us to this “landing place”. You look what “harbor” we enter. Here who meets us – and it gesture showed around.

The closer the steamship approached the unusual harbor, the sad fragments of the ships met on the way more often. There were broken, crippled, semi-decayed vessels of all countries and the people. Here pie from the whole piece of a tree… And here one skeleton of a fishing bark: the external covering fell off, frames stuck out as naked edges, and a kilevy part resembled a fish spine… Further away more or less remained vessels were seen: barques, schooners, tenders, frigates, galleys… The rusty modern steamship stood side by side with the Portuguese caravel of the sixteenth century. It had beautiful curved ship lines. The low board towered intricate superstructures on a nose and a stern. The core of a wheel passed through all stern, on the middle of boards there were openings for oars. “Santa Maria” – distinctly was seen onboard.

– Surprisingly! – Gatling exclaimed. – Almost on the same vessel Columbus floated, and one of his caravels was also called “Santa Maria”, two others – “Pint” and Nina. And here you look – and far-sighted Gatling read onboard the linear ship: – “Henry”. Further, you see, the three-deck vessel: “The sovereign of the seas” and “1637” on its board. And between them the wheel steamship of the first half of the nineteenth century – no more than fifty meters of length.

to the internal mass of the ships which are closely pressed to each other which as if merged to a peculiar island.

Satellites were silent. All had such feeling as if they were brought alive at the cemetery.

– If the destiny brought us here, it is necessary to get acquainted with this unusual island. Симпкинс! We go!

Симпкинс it was obviously not located to be let in an excursion on this gloomy cemetery.

– What sense? – he tried to evade.

– Be a man, Simpkins. Who knows that he conceals in himself this island? Perhaps, there are also inhabitants.

– Ghosts of old Dutch seafarers?

– We will look at it. In any case, whoever lived here, it is better if we learn the first about them. This island can become our grave, but who knows, perhaps, here we will find also means to rescue. It is necessary to examine vessels; whether it will be some else suitable for swimming?

– To examine vessels! – Симпкинс remembered “Marta” from her 50 000 guldens gold. It fluctuated.

– But how we will leave one Ms. Kingman?

– Do not worry about me. I am not afraid of ghosts – she answered.

– We here that we will make, Ms. – Gatling offered – put straw in a fire chamber. If you are threatened by some danger, set fire to straw; we will see the smoke which is coming out a pipe and immediately we will hurry to the aid. We go.

The Gatling got over on the three-sailing vessel of the eighteenth century Victoria standing nearby. Симпкинс reluctantly followed it.

They slowly moved ahead in depth of the island.

Hardly something in the world could be more sad than a show of this enormous cemetery. The sea buries the lost ships, the earth – people. But this cemetery left the dead persons open, at full light of the hot sun. It was necessary to go carefully. The semi-decayed boards shivered under legs. Every minute travelers risked to fail in a hold. On this case each of them had on a rope to give help each other the necessary minute. A handrail fell off. Scraps of sails at one touch were scattered in ashes. Everywhere a thick layer dust of decay and greens of rotting lay… The skeletons glinting in the sun a whiteness of bones or darkening still the remained skin or tatters of clothes lay on many decks. On an arrangement of skeletons, on the broken skulls it was possible to judge that the people who went mad before death quarreled, revolted, aimlessly and cruelly killed each other, revenging someone for sufferings and the ruined life, Each ship witnessed the great tragedy happening on it fifty, hundred, two hundred years ago.

From what inhuman horror, what terrible anguish living owners of the skulls bleached by the sun grinning now in a terrible smile had to suffer! And all of them smiled, smiled to ears…

Even Gatlingu became terribly from these smiling grins, and Simpkins was shaken by fever.

– Let’s leave from here – he asked. – I cannot more!

– Wait, there well remained ship. It is interesting to go down in cabins.

– On ladders which will break off under your legs? – Симпкинс it ozlitsya suddenly. – Gatling! I will not make more to a step. Enough. I ask you not to order me any more. You forgot about the one who you are and who I am! Where you conduct me? What for? to dump somewhere in a hold and thus to get off me without noise! Oh, I know: I disturb you.

Gatling this speech enraged:

– Become silent, Simpkins, or I really will throw you overboard.

– Not so simply – venomously said Simpkins and, having leaned against a wooden protection at a board, directed a revolver barrel to Gatlinga. The Gatling quickly stepped forward, but before he grabbed by Simpkins’s hand, the shot and a sound of the fallen handrail was distributed. The bullet flew by over-headed Gatlinga. At the same time he saw how Simpkins, having ridiculously waved hands, fell overboard together with fragments of the rotted-through handrail. Behind a board deaf splash of water… silence… then Simpkins’s snorting. The Gatling looked overboard. The detective floundered in green porridge of seaweed. Seaweed hanged down in garlands from the head, entangled hands, is tenacious held the victim. Симпкинс strained all efforts to be hooked for a ship covering. After a number of attempts it managed it. But his hands were tired, seaweed pulled down, it is a little more – and it would go to a bottom.

The Gatling departed from a board, sat down on a barrel and lit a tube.

– The Gatling, forgive. I was a silly donkey – heard Gatling Simpkins’s voice, but continued to smoke silently a tube. – … save the Gatling… Гатлинг!

The Gatling approached a board. It fluctuated. Nevertheless the person asks about the help. But what person? The selling detective, the spy who will not stop even after rescue now to betray Gatlinga in hands of the authorities to receive thirty silver coins.

– No, no – and Gatling sat down again and began to smoke strenuously…

– The Gatling, I beg! Gatling! Gatling! – Simpkins groaned.

The Gatling strenuously smoked a tube.

– Ga-at … – and suddenly this shout turned into some choking sobbing.

The Gatling gritted the teeth, rejected a tube and, having untwisted the end of a rope, threw it drowning.

Grabbed with the last efforts of Simpkins a rope, but as soon as Gatling began to drag it, Simpkins broke: seaweed it is tenacious held it, in hands there was no force any more.

– Tie round a rope! – Gatling shouted to it.

Симпкинс somehow tied round, twirled knot and began to rise by the deck.

Facing Gatling, Simpkins was so excited that he only continuously repeated: “Gatling!. Gatling!. Gatling!.” – also gave it a hand.

The Gatling frowned, but, having looked at sincere animal joy in the opinion of saved, good-natured smiled and strong reaped a wet hand.

– I cannot express to you, Gatling…

– Stand – Gatling suddenly pricked up the ears, quickly pulling out the hand – watch, by our steamship smoke from a pipe. Ms. Kingman calls us. There something happened. We run!

Chapter 7