"Smith, Guy N - Crabs 01 - 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. They say the bathing there is superb.'

'We'll go tomorrow,' Ian promised solemnly and began steering his fiancee in the direction of Davy Jones's Locker, a cave-like caf6 overlooking the harbour.

Saturday dawned with those same cloudless blue skies and blazing sunshine. Ian and Julie were grateful for the coolness of the open 1949 red MG as it glided along the narrow coast roads.

After about twenty minutes Ian slowed down as they approached the small village of Llanbedr, and noticed a sign off to the left which read 'Mochras'.

That's Welsh for Shell Island,' he shouted above the roar of the engine, and then they were turning off down an even narrower road. Soon the tarmac gave way to rough shale, and they could see the tide already lapping at the edges of the causeway.

'What's that?' Julie pointed to some buildings and grass runways which were cordoned off by extensive barbed-wire fencing, almost like some concentration camp from the last war.

'War Department,' Tan said as he slowed down. 'Uncle Cliff told me all about it when he heard we were coming here. It's a pilot-less aircraft base. See those small planes over there? Well, they fly them by remote control. All very hush-hush, though. You'd need a WD pass in triplicate to get even as far as the first check-point! 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 shuddered 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 the water across the road ahead of them, reduced his speed still more, and drove slowly on to Shell Island itself. 'You'll forget that place even exists when you see the real beauty of Shell Island!'