Classics fantasy – 10

A little flat nose, heavy chin, sensual mouth made not absolutely pleasant impression. His gray cold eyes directed on comers. He silently and quietly looked at them, as if studying them and weighing something. It was the look of the person who got used to dispose of destiny of people, without paying attention to their personal desires, tastes and interests. Having thrown a cursory glance on Simpkinsa and, obviously, without having considered it noteworthy, he long looked at Ms. Kingman, transferred a view of Gatlinga and again to Kingman…

This silent survey confused Viviana and began to annoy Gatlinga.

– May I introduce myself: Redzhinald Gatling, Ms. Vivian Kingman, Mr. Jim Simpkins. Passengers of the steamship “Veniamin Franklin” which crashed.

Sleyton, without paying attention to Gatlinga, still continued to look at Ms. Kingman. Then he approached it, kindly greeted, carelessly gave a hand to Gatlingu and Simpkins and invited to sit down.

– Yes, I know – he spoke – I know.

The Gatling was extraordinary surprised when Sleyton precisely specified where and when their steamship crashed. None of them spoke about it to islanders.

Sleyton addressed almost only Ms. Kingman.

– If the case brought you on this sad Island, Ms. Kingman, then we, islanders, have to thank only the lucky stars for its fine gift – Sleyton released rather heavy compliment even without smile upon the face.

– Alas, I am not inclined to thank the lucky stars which so disposed of me – Ms. Kingman answered.

– Who knows, who knows? – mysteriously Sleyton answered. – Here not so badly is, Ms. as can seem from the first. You play music? You sing?

– Yes…

– Perfectly. Perfectly. Here you will find a fine erarovsky grand piano and rich musical library. There are enough books too. Among our islanders there are interesting people. Here at least this Ternip. However, it decently fell, but he saw much, knows much and once was well placed. Now it is ridiculous, but nevertheless is interesting. Then Liu-ders, German. This is our historian and the scientist. He studies shipbuilding history, our Island – the real museum, isn’t that so?

– Shipbuilding history? It is interesting – told Gatling.

– It is related to your specialty? – carelessly Sleyton asked, having looked at him squinted.

– Yes, I am a shipbuilding engineer – Gatling answered.

Ms. Kingman with astonishment looked at it. She also did not know about it.

– There now and you will have an interesting interlocutor, Mr…

– Gatling.

– Mr. Gatling… Людерс brought together the most interesting library from ship magazines and posthumous notes of all dead by the ships surrounding us. Well… I do not advise this material to read… However, it would be enough for ten novelists, but it is too gloomy, too. The Sargasso Sea will seem to you after reading this library one of circles of dantovsky Hell.

– And what, by these ships there is probably a lot of and… rarities of everyones found? – squoze the word and Simpkins.

Sleyton looked at Simpkins more attentively and, having noted some observation or a conclusion in memory, answered:

– Yes, is and … – he purposely made the same pause, as well as Simpkins – rarities. We have the whole museum. I will show it to you somehow if you are interested in rarities.

But what, unfortunately, lacks us – Sleyton addressed Ms. Kingman again – so it women’s society. With the death of my late wife – Sleyton sighed – on the Island there were only two women: Maggie Flores and Ida Dode, or Ternip, as call at us her husband. This is the old, respectable woman. I will provide you it to cares.

– To eat it is given – the Black footman who is dressed up on the occasion of arrival of new settlers in a dress coat and white gloves declared.

– I ask you to eat on a housewarming – and the governor led guests to the dining room where well served table was laid.

During a breakfast Sleyton once again surprised with Gatlinga the awareness on what becomes on light. Sleyton knew the latest world news.

The governor noticed amazed looks and for the first time fatly laughed:

– We if you want, Robinzona. But Robinzona of the twentieth century. You noticed the wires attached to masts and columns? The island of the Lost Ships has telephone communication. We could arrange also electric lighting, but we do not have fuel. But we have the radio-receiving station and even a loudspeaker. We got all this on the installed radio vessels beaten to the Island in recent years. You wish to listen? – and Sleyton put the radio-receiving device in action.

And in a cabin of an old frigate, among the Island of the Lost Ships, the fashionable song executed in New York by the famous singer who was heard more than once by Ms. Kingman suddenly was heard.

Never before sounds of songs so shook it.

Chapter 9

NEW LIFE

The female part of the population of the Island accepted Ms. Kingman with the most live participation.

If from Maggie Flores at Ms. Kingman friendly relations of contemporaries, then old, strict by sight were established, but the kind wife of Aristide Ternipa-Dode – Ida – took at once patronizing tone of careful mother concerning Ms. Kingman. Women was so a little on the Island! Besides Mrs. Dode thoroughly assumed that Viviana will need her protection. And it accepted the girl under the guardianship.

Maggie Flores in the first day told Vivian Kingman the sad story. When the destiny abandoned her on the Island, she married, with observance of the “laws” and ceremonialisms existing on the Island, the governor Feargus Sleyton. From this marriage she gave birth to the child who was the only representative of new generation on the Island now. Feargus was rough and is even tough with it, but she suffered… During the German war on the Island brought the German submarine and on it three who survived: the sailor, the captain and the young Frenchwoman from the passenger steamship sunk by the same submarine.

When the Frenchwoman appeared on the Island, Feargus wanted to make her the wife. Between Feargus and the German captain of the submarine there was a quarrel. The German was killed, and the Frenchwoman became Sleyton’s wife. Maggie got a divorce and it was the wife of Flores soon.

It is rough too, but he loves Maggie, is strong and does not give her to anybody in offense.

Then… then the Frenchwoman died. Sleyton said that she incidentally got poisoned with fish poison. But on the Island said that she committed suicide as she loved the German captain killed by Feargus. And widowed Feargus Sleyton wished to return Maggie again. But Flores told that, having only crossed through his corpse, Sleyton will manage to receive Maggie back.

For Sleyton to cross through a corpse as easily, as through a log. It would not stop before it. But Flores part was taken by all population of the Island. The governor understood that with it it is not necessary to joke, and receded.

– And I remained the wife of Flores – finished the story of Maggie. – And here such minute, dear Ms. Viviana, you were… You understand all difficulty of your situation? If Feargus Sleyton is pleasant to you, well, then everything is all right. And if is not present or your heart is occupied by another – and she significantly looked at Viviana – that be careful. Be very careful with Sleyton!.

Ms. Kingman reddened.

– My heart is not occupied – she answered – but I am not going to become Sleyton’s wife.

The conversation passed to other subjects. Ms. Dode told Vivian about how she is to them on the Island.

– We have quite large supplies of food, mainly canned food. But as it is unknown whether these stocks will be replenished, they are spent only as a last resort, especially flour. Bread, wine, canned and vegetable meat are given only by the patient. As ordinary food serves fish hooked in the sea. From monotony in food quite often there are diseases of a scurvy. Such patients are given a ration from a warehouse.

– Tell, but all these ships cannot sink?

– Our professor Lyuders says that here small depth. The ships sank several centuries here, lifting a bottom. And now we are on the most real Island from the lost ships. We have loved places of walks, the streets and the areas here – on decks of the big ships, “mountain” and “valley” … With us there live six monkeys, several dogs and the tamed birds whom we caught when they had a rest on the Island during flight. – The old woman sighed. – What to tell? The person gets used to everything! Nevertheless it would be desirable to see still the earth and to bury the old bones in the earth…

Maggie’s fears came true. Ms. Kingman was necessary to face Sleyton soon.

He invited her to himself to evening tea. And when it came, he almost without preface made it the proposal to become his wife. She answered with resolute refusal. Sleyton began to ask it, then to threaten:

– Understand that it is inevitable. And in your interests. With me you will be in safety, you will be provided to all necessary. For you there will be a fine leaving… I know, your father is rich. But all its riches – pennies in comparison with what I have. I will show you full chests of gold, a heap of diamonds and pearls; you the whole handfuls will take emeralds from my treasures. Everything will be yours.

– I am not a child to play stones. And here all these treasures only are also fit for pouring them from a hand into a hand.