"Oswald Bastable - 02 - The Land Leviathan" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moorcock Michael)

THE LAND LEVIATHAN
A New Scientific Romance


Dedicated to Emma
(and also for Bertie)

Introduction I
Prologue: In Search of Oswald Bastable
5


Book One: The World in Anarchy
1. The Return of Teku Benga 43
2. The Dream - and the Nightmare -of the Chilean Wizard 47
3. The Polish Privateer 56
4. The King of East Grinstead 63
5. The Start of a New Career 71
6. 'A Haven of Civilization' 78
7. A Legend in the Flesh 86
8. A Decision in Cold Blood 9

Book Two: The Battle for Washington
1. The Two Fleets Meet 109
2. The Land Leviathan 121
3. The Deserter 130
4. The Triumphant Beast 137
5. A Matter of Loyalties 153

Epilogue 159
Editor's Note 161

THE LAND LEVIATHAN

INTRODUCTION
My grandfather, who died relatively young after he had volunteered for service
in the Great War, became increasingly secretive and misanthropic in his last
years so that the discovery of a small steel safe amongst his effects was
unsurprising and aroused no curiosity whatsoever in his heirs who, finding that
they could not unlock it (no key ever came to light), simply stored it away with
his papers and forgot about it. The safe remained in the attic of our Yorkshire
house for the best part of fifty years and doubtless would still be there if it
had not been for my discovery of the manuscript which I published a couple of
years ago under the title The War Lord of the Air. After the book was published
I received many interesting letters from people asking me if it was merely a
piece of fiction or if the story had come into my hands as I had described. I,
of course, believed Bastable's story (and my grandfather's) completely, yet
sometimes felt quite as frustrated as my grandfather had done when he had tried
to get people to share his belief, and I couldn't help brooding occasionally on
the mystery of the young man's disappearance after those long hours spent