"Roger Zelazny - And I Only Am Escaped to Tell Thee" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zelazny Roger)

he had been sighted. From what appeared to be their relative
movements, it seemed that he might well drift past it in a
matter of minutes. He transferred the shirt to his other hand,
began waving it again.

When next he looked, he saw that the vessel was changing
course, coming toward him. Had he been stronger and less
emotionally drained, he might have wept. As it was, he became
almost immediately aware of a mighty fatigue and a great
coldness. His eyes stung from the salt, yet they wanted to
close. He had to keep looking at his numbed hands to be certain
that they maintained their hold upon the barrel.
"Hurry!" he breathed. "Hurry. . . ."
He was barely conscious when they took him into the
lifeboat and wrapped him in blankets. By the time they came
alongside the ship, he was asleep.
He slept the rest of that day and all that night,
awakening only long enough to sip hot grog and broth. When he
did try to speak, he was not understood.
It was not until the following afternoon that they brought
in a seaman who spoke Dutch. He told the man his entire story,
from the time he had signed aboard until the time he had jumped
into the sea.
"Incredible!" the seaman observed, pausing after a long
spell of translation for the officers. "Then that storm-tossed
apparition we saw yesterday was really the _Flying Dutchman!_
There truly _is_ such a thing--and you, you are the only man to
have escaped from it!"
Van Berkum smiled weakly, drained his mug, and set it
aside, hands still shaking.
The seaman clapped him on the shoulder.
"Rest easy now, my friend. You are safe at last," he said,
"free of the demon ship. You are aboard a vessel with a fine
safety record and excellent officers and crew--and just a few
days away from her port. Recover your strength and rid your
mind of past afflictions. We welcome you aboard the _Marie
Celeste_."


Last-modified: Mon, 31-Aug-98 05:44:13 GMT




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