Classics fantasy – 10

– Agree! Agree of own will, differently … – and it strong squeezed it a hand at an elbow.

– Whether I left a tray here? – having opened a door, Mrs. Dode asked suddenly and entered a cabin.

Sleyton discontentedly frowned, departed from Ms. Kingman and silently waited.

The old woman continued to dart about on a cabin. He lost patience:

– You will get out from here soon?

Mrs. Dode podbochenitsya, became in the most fighting pose, looked up and down at Sleyton from legs to the head and suddenly flew on him as the brood hen protecting the chicken:

– No, I will not clean up! No, I will not clean up until you answer me all my questions. You governor Ostrova?

– I am a governor! Further!

– You issue laws?

– I issue laws!

– Who will be to obey your laws if you the first do not execute them?

– Yes in what business, mad you the woman?

– You madman, but not I! You issued the law that each woman getting on the Island has to marry! So, well. But the woman is granted the right to freely choose to itself the husband… And you what you do?

– You overheard?

– Yes, yes, overheard and very well made! Unless so we make elections of the husband? You wanted to deceive also her and all who are not deprived of the right to count on its choice. You wanted to bypass the law, but you will not manage it. I will trumpet it on all island, and all will be against you. You did not forget history with Maggie and Flores? And so to you and last question: whether you intend to execute the law and to appoint elections of the proper husband by Viviana Kingman how it is necessary?

Feargus was angry, but felt that he should obey.

– Well! We will execute this formality if you so want it! But you will see that the result will be the same. Ms. will not agree to marry the Black or one of my ragamuffins.

– We will see it. And now, the child, we go to me – and she took away Ms. Kingman with a type of the winner.

Chapter 10

CHOICE OF THE GROOM

The sun fell for the horizon, lighting with red beams the bright green surface of the Sargasso Sea and the Island of the Lost Ships with its wood of masts. This deformed by storms, iskroshenny time the wood, its broken boughs yards, shreds of sails, rare as the last leaves – all this could bring into despondency of the most cheerful person.

But professor Lyuders felt here perfectly as the scientist-archeologist in the favourite museum of antiquities.

Having taken seat on the deck of the Dutch caravel, he with enthusiasm told Gatlingu, showing to a broad gesture around:

– Here, before your eyes, all history of shipbuilding. You cannot imagine what there are historical jewelry here. Over there, at the wheel steamship of last century, the ship of a dokolumbovsky era is seen. With such wheel floated in the ocean! And there, behind a three-deck brig, the pearl of my museum is stored: the Scandinavian single-masted nine-oar vessel of the tenth century from west banks of Greenland. In immemorial times it was thrown out by a storm on fragments of earlier lost ships and therefore perfectly remained. Look at its beautiful extended form, with the sharp raised stern and higher nose topped with the carved head not birds, not a dragon. What destinies it got here? What madly brave people were let in this fragile boat in far swimming? And there, below, in motionless cold depths, likely, ruins of the Phoenician and Egyptian ships, and who knows, perhaps, here, under us lie, the fleet of great Atlantis, among the wood of seaweed and columns of the died civilization is based?

– Mass of Gatling! The captain Feargus Sleyton asks you to welcome to him.

The Gatling saw the half-naked Black whose black body got in beams setting the sun a shade of old bronze.

– What it is necessary for it?

– Asks to welcome to it – the Black repeated.

The Gatling reluctantly rose and went on an unsteady planked footway to “residence” of the governor.

Sleyton accepted it, standing in the usual pose.

– The Gatling, I need to talk to you. You love Ms. Kingman? – it asked Gatlingu an unexpected question.

– I do not consider it necessary to answer you! It concerns only me!

– You are mistaken! It concerns also me!

– Really? Then I can report that I personally as speak, have no Views on Ms. Kingman. We are with it friends, and I deeply respect her. But the same friendship imposes on me and some duties…

– In what they consist?

– That I will allow to dispose to nobody of destiny of Ms. Kingman against her good will.

– Do not forget, Gatling that here I have the privilege to allow something or not to allow. Only I! – And after a pause he added: – Here that, Gatling! I have an opportunity to bring you to coast of the Azores. I will be able to provide very solidly you on the road.

Gatling all reddened for anger and clenched fists.

– To be silent! – he shouted. – You dare to offer me a bribe? You dare to think that I am capable to betray the person for money? – And after these words it snatched on Sleyton.

Sleyton reflected blow and blew a whistle. Ten different races ragamuffins making bodyguard of Sleyton rushed to Gatlinga because of the opened doors.

The Gatling rejected them extensively, but fight was unequal. In a few minutes it was strong connected.

– To throw it into a dark punishment cell! By the way, arrest also Simpkinsa!

And when Gatlinga took away, Sleyton asked one of servants whether everything is ready to a ceremony of the choice of the groom.

– Perfectly. So, today at nine in the evening!

* * *

The big hall of a saloon was decorated wonderfully well. Walls dazzled with the flags of all nations taken from the lost ships and pieces of color matter. Through all room, up and down, garlands of seaweed lasted. On air these seaweed quickly grew brown and had quite pathetic appearance, but what to do, other greens could not be got. But on tables several bouquets of the large white colors reminding water lilies flaunted. The multi-colored lamps suspended to a ceiling supplemented furniture. The long table was filled with cold dishes, wine and even bottles of champagne.

The population of the Island literally was rushed off the feet since the morning.

By the evening it was impossible to recognize all these pathetic ragamuffins.

Each of them in a treasured trunk had quite decent suit. They had never before a shave so carefully, did not brush with such diligence the hair which weaned from a brush and a comb, never exhausted so much soap and waters and never so long stared at themselves in splinters of mirrors…

These splinters were reflected by the most various persons: and black as soot, the shining face of the Black, both narrow eyes of the zheltolitsy Chinese, and corroded I will merge and winds a face of the old old salt, and a bright red face of the Indian with intricate jewelry in ears.