"Guy N. Smith - Night Of The Crabs 2 - Crabs Moon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith Guy N)

'What's that?' Julie pointed to some buildings which were cordoned off by
extensive barbed-wire fencing, like some remnant of a concentration camp from
the last war. She shuddered. It was a forbidding scar on an otherwise natural
rugged landscape. An eyesore; it spoiled the environment.

'War Department,' Ian slowed the car to a crawl. 'Uncle Cliff told me all
about it when he heard we were coming here. It's a pilotless aircraft base.
Those small planes you see standing on the runways are all flown by remote
control. All very hush hush. You'd need a WD pass in triplicate to get even as
far as the first checkpoint! Uncle Cliff said some lads who were camping on
Shell Island went on an exploration trip one night and ran into the guards.
They nearly got shot, and then had to undergo an extensive interrogation
before they were allowed to leave with severe warnings ringing in their ears.'

'It sounds awfully creepy,' Julie shivered in spite of the warm sunshine. 'I
hope we'll be away from here before dark.'

'No need to worry about that place,' Ian saw that the water was spilling
across the road ahead of them and reduced his speed to 5 mph; then the MG was
bumping and splashing its way up on to Shell Island itself. 'You'll forget it
ever exists when you see the real beauty of Shell Island.'

Shell Island was a veritable maze of narrow tarmac roads with ample parking
places on the hard grass landscape. Everywhere tents were pitched as campers
made the most of this unexpected heat wave. A signpost stated that the South
End lay to the left and the North End to the right.

Ian moved to the left, following the sign which guided them to the bathing
beaches. Half a mile further on he pulled off the road and brought the car to
a halt on the top of a steep rise which afforded them a view of sand-dunes
with an extensive golden beach beneath.

'It's marvellous!' Julie breathed in the welcome stiffening breeze which was
ruffling her auburn hair. 'All these people camping here yet we've almost got
the beach to ourselves. Where is everybody, Ian?'

'They've probably all had their early-morning dip and are sleeping it off.'
Ian stretched himself on the warm powdery sand. 'Now, let's have that picnic
and then we'll see how warm the water really is.'
Half an hour later, clad in their bathing costumes, they were racing across
the wet sand towards the tide, laughing and shouting as they splashed
ankle-deep through the white foam.

'It's really warm,' Julie laughed. 'Why don't we go for a nice long swim?'

'Suits me.' Ian glanced down at the front of his bathing costume. Julie always
made him like that, damn her, at the most inconvenient of times and often in
the most awkward of situations. He wanted to strip right off, to stand naked
in front of her with Nature's wilderness as a background. He glanced about