"033 (B015) - Murder Melody (1935-11) - Laurence Donovan" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

There were now more than a score of the strange visitors. All were of medium height. They were clad in close-fitting tunics with what seemed to be loosely woven metallic belts. More amazing than this, none appeared to be armed in any manner. Their hands swung free at their sides.
"By the great hornspoon!" thundered Captain Jarnagin. "What the devil do you think you are? Get off my ship! No pirates are goin' to board me!"
The foremost of the boarding men halted abruptly.
"Holy cow!" exclaimed Renny. "If he wasn't so tall an' didn't have that funny color, you'd think it was Monk himself!"
The leader did have a considerable resemblance to Doc's apelike chemist partner. His arms were long. His shoulders were wide. His lower jaw stuck forward prognathously. His large-pupiled eyes were set deep under jutting bones. His forehead was sloping.
"It's the fellow who jumped into our television," said Ham.
The leader of the boarders raised his hand. Surprisingly, he spoke in excellent English.
"We have not come to fight," he said in a slow, precise voice. "We want only this inferior craft of iron you call a ship."
Captain Jarnagin whipped up his revolver and fired.
Chapter 8. PRISON JACKETS
"WHAT, Captain Jarnagin!" commanded Caulkins's brittle voice. "We can't be too hasty!"
The economist's long bony fingers had gripped the irate captain's wrist just as he had pulled the trigger of his snub-nosed weapon. The bullet intended for the leader of the metallic-clad boarders was deflected. It whined off the steel plates of the deck.
At the same time, Caulkins had drawn a more modern automatic pistol from a pocket of the heavy mackinaw he was wearing against the Arctic cold. Apparently he meant what he said. He was himself ready to fight, but it was a part of his training to try diplomacy first.
"I take it," the economist went on quickly, "you and your men from this strange submarine are unarmed. Your statement that you want our ship is too preposterous to be considered. If you are responsible in any way for the disabling of this steamer, you will be liable for heavy damages, perhaps criminal prosecution."
The leader of the boarders had not moved. Ham, peering closely at the halted men, observed, "Their skins aren't natural, or they're heavily made up."
It was true. The faces and hands of the visitors were of a fine silvery texture. The skin seemed to have no pores. All of the men's chins were hairless. Though the skull bones of the leader jutted over his strange black-and-white eyes, there were no brows.
This leader appeared not to be at all disturbed by the captain's hastily fired bullet. Something approaching a smile gave his countenance macabre scornfulness.
"We shall take this ship," he said slowly, without raising his voice. "It shall be returned to you undamaged. You and your men will be set ashore on an island until we return. I am Zoro. I am planning to entertain a distinguished guest. The world's greatest scientist is soon to be a visitor."
He glanced at Ham, Renny and Long Tom.
"Already we have three of his adherents with us," he went on with cool assurance. "Two others are accompanying him to this place. I am merely satisfying a whim to meet the man supposed to be the world's greatest scientist. I am speaking of Doc Savage."
Renny's broad shoulders had been twitching. His hamlike fists had been twisting oddly on his corded wrists. The name of Doc Savage acted like a match applied to powder.
"Zoro, huh?" he bellowed. "Well, I'll Zoro all of you!"
THE enraged engineer sprang forward, both fists swinging. The leader, Zero, evaded him with a movement incredibly fast. The next man in line was not so quick. The blow aimed at the leader caught this man and another. It happened so suddenly they were smashed like mere wooden tenpins into the deck housing.
Their long tunics rustled metallicly as they sank to the deck. Captain Jarnagin wrenched his wrist free from Caulkins's grip. He aimed the snub-nosed revolver again at Zoro.
Then from Zero came his first hastily spoken word. He barked a command in a language none of Doc's companions had ever heard. Ham, who was whipping his blade from the cane, saw the hands of silver-skinned boarders jump to their loosely fitted belts.
The captain's revolver was not exploded. Neither was the automatic which Caulkins had started to raise. These weapons 'were snatched from their hands by some invisible force. One, flying through the air, grazed Ham's skull and staggered him.
Renny at the minute was swinging his great fists with devastating effect. Three more men had gone down. Long Tom was pulling his supermachine pistol. It was jerked from his grip and followed the weapon of Caulkins and the captain.
Ham and Long Tom gasped with amazement.
The pistols had flown through the air. They now were adhering to the belts of three of the invaders. These men plucked them loose. They stuffed them inside their tunics.
A galvanized scrub bucket skidded ringingly along the steel plates of the deck. It was followed by a couple of iron belaying pins. Some smaller metal objects bounced and bounded along. These, too, landed on the raiders' belts. They were freed with ease and tossed overboard.
Suddenly there was a weird wailing series of notes. They had an eerie, ghostly cadence as of distant windblown music. Renny, the engineer, stopped one swinging fist in midair.
"It's Doc!" he yelled. "It can't be, but it's Doc!"
To Renny, as to Ham and Long Tom, the flutelike music had remarkable similarity to the exotic melody that came to their bronze leader in moments of greatest stress. Renny's big body swung around. His solemn, puritanical face was greatly puzzled.
For a moment, Ham and Long Tom were no less bewildered. But each of the three, and the other men closest to the silvery-skinned invaders, were swiftly becoming dizzy. Captain Jarnagin swore loudly and staggered against the rail.
Ham had somehow managed to hang onto his one weapon, the sword blade. Though his ears were ringing and his brain suddenly seemed on fire, the fast-moving lawyer leaped toward Zoro. His blade was flashing. It was tipped with the same drug used in the anaesthetic capsules.
Ham figured if he could put the raiders' leader out of business, the others could be controlled. Their seemingly un-armed state was encouraging.
Zoro saw the point of the sword blade whipping toward his stomach. But he did not even step aside. Inside, one hand moved with the speed of light to his loose belt. There was a whining snap of metal.
Ham stood for a second looking ruefully at his blade. It had slapped across Zoro's metallic tunic. The drugged point had broken off.
Renny, who had until this time depended upon his fists, pulled his supermachine pistol from under his bulletproof vest.
His big hand gripped it too tightly for the mysterious force arrayed against them to tear it loose. He operated the mechanism. The pistol was pointed directly at Zoro. An amazing thing happened.
Zoro spoke quietly. "It is entirely useless."
This was the truth. The metal drum of mercy bullets was immovable. It was as if the weapon had been frozen into one solid piece.
HAM and Long Tom were hanging onto the rail. Renny shifted queerly on his massive legs and sat down. Captain Jarnagin had slumped to the deck. Caulkins and Cassalano were stuffing fingers into their ears.
Another boatload of panicky sailors tumbled from the davits. It splashed into the sea and overturned. The lesser members of the scientific group were retreating with stumbling steps. All acted as if they had been imbibing some intoxicant.
Zoro raised his hand and uttered another command.
Then he said, "It was necessary to prove that you are powerless."
The weird wailing music had suddenly ceased. Ham's head throbbed with pain. He saw two of the invaders restoring flutelike instruments to their belts. The eerie sound had come from these.
Zoro continued coolly. "We could as easily have played death music. We have been merciful. We merely want this worthless ship for our own purposes. The captain will be repaid well."
Homer Pearson Caulkins pushed forward. His lean, ascetic face was lined with apparent pain. His words surprised Ham.
"You call yourself Zoro," the economist said. "Your demonstration has been most remarkable. It will be even more astounding if Doc Savage is to be your guest, as you say. You know three of his famous companions are here?"