"Alistair MacLean - Santorini" - читать интересную книгу автора (Maclean Alistair)

Grierson said: 'Well, yes, if anyone knows he should.'Carson was the C-in-C Southern European NATO. He lifted his binoculars and looked at the vertical column of smoke, now no more than four miles to the east. 'A yacht, as you say, and making quite a bonfire. If there's anyone still aboard, they're going to be very warm indeed. Are you going alongside, Captain?'

'Alongside.' Talbot looked at Denholm. 'What's your estimate of the value of the electronic gear we have aboard?'

'Twenty million. Maybe twenty-five. A lot, anyway.'

'There's your answer, Doctor. That thing's gone bang once already. It can go bang once again. I am not going alongside. You are. In the launch. That's expendable. The Ariadne's not.'

'Well, thank you very much. And what intrepid soul -- '

'I'm sure Number One here will be delighted to ferry you across.'

'Ah. Number One, have your men wear overalls, gloves and flash-masks. Injuries from burning diesel can be very unpleasant indeed. And you. I go to prepare myself for self-immolation.'

'And don't forget your lifebelts.'

Grierson didn't deign to answer.

They had halved the remaining distance to the burning yacht when Talbot got through to the radio-room again.

'Message dispatched?'

'Dispatched and acknowledged.'

'Anything more from theDelos ?'

'Nothing.'

'Delos,' Denholm said. 'That's about eighty miles north of here. Alas, theCyclades will never be the same for me again.' Denholm sighed. Electronics specialist or not, he regarded himself primarily as a classicist and, indeed, he was totally fluent in reading and writing both Latin and Greek. He was deeply immersed in their ancient cultures as the considerable library in his cabin bore testimony. He was also much given to quotations and he quoted now.

'The isles ofGreece , the isles ofGreece !'

Where burning Sappho loved and sung, Where grew the arts of war and peace,

WhereDelos rose, and Phoebus sprung, Eternal summer -- '

'Your point is taken, Lieutenant,' Talbot said. 'We'll cry tomorrow. In the meantime, let us address ourselves to the problem of those poor souls on the fo'c's'le. I count five of them.'

'So doI. ' Denholm lowered his glasses. 'What's all the frantic waving for? Surely to God they can't imagine we haven't seen them?'

'They've seen us all right. Relief, Lieutenant. Expectation of rescue. But there's more to it than that. A certain urgency in their waving. A primitive form of semaphoring. What they're saying is "get us the hell out of here and be quick about it".'

'Maybe they're expecting another explosion?'

'Could be that.Harrison , I want to come to a stop on their starboard beam. At, you understand, a prudent distance.'

'A hundred yards, sir?'

'Fine.'