"Guy N. Smith - Night Of The Crabs 1 - Night of the Crabs" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith Guy N)

Chapter 1



THE sunlight sparkled and shimmered on the deep blue of the incoming tide, the
waves lapping gently at the harbour wall. Fishing-smacks bobbed lazily on the
slight swell, and flocks of seagulls screeched noisily as they anticipated the
titbits which would be thrown overboard as the latest catch was unloaded.
Behind, the range of mountains where the deep green of summer and the purple
heather was just coming into full bloom.

Jan Wright rested his elbows on the harbour railings and idly watched the
outboard motor-boat, which served as a ferry between Fairbourne and Barmouth,
chugging its way across the estuary, leaving a trail of foam in its wake. He
was in his early twenties and his broad, handsome face was already tanned to a
deep mahogany after less than a week of exposure to these Welsh coast
sea-breezes.

'Penny for your thoughts!' the attractive red-haired, freckled-faced girl,
dressed in jeans and sweater, nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. She was
roughly the same age as himself, and her slim, perfectly proportioned figure
had already caused many a male holiday-maker to glance in her direction.

'Nothing much,' he smiled back at her. 'I was only thinking how nice it would
be to spend another week here instead of going back to London on Saturday.'

'Well,' she wrinkled her nose, 'I must say I agree with you but I don't think
your uncle Cliff would. He would be the first one to blow his top if we didn't
turn up at the laboratory on Monday morning!'

'Dear old Uncle Cliff,' Ian laughed.

'Not so much of the "old",' Julie slipped an arm around his waist. 'He may be
one of the country's leading botanists but he isn't forty yet. He's very much
your mother's younger brother.'

'You're right,' Ian sighed. 'Cliff is almost like a brother to me. And he's
hip, too, to quote a modern phrase. He didn't even raise an eyebrow when he
discovered that we were going away together for a week. "Have a good dirty
week", he said, as I left on Friday night. "I don't expect you'll be good, but
try and be careful. I don't want Julie to have to pack up work just yet." You
wouldn't find many uncles taking that attitude.'

'Well,' Julie winked, 'we have been careful, haven't we? Or at least, I hope
you have!'

They both laughed, and then their attention was diverted by a train crossing
the estuary over the viaduct a mile away.

'One more day,' Julie sighed, 'and you still haven't taken me to Shell Island.