Таємний спільник
II
”
Mytonehadaborrowedloudnessreverberatedfromtheheightoftheland.Severalvoicescriedouttogether:“Weareallondeck,sir.”
Thenstillnessagain,withthegreatshadowglidingcloser,toweringhigher,withoutalight,withoutasound.SuchahushhadfallenontheshipthatshemighthavebeenabarkofthedeadfloatinginslowlyundertheverygateofErebus.
“MyGod!Wherearewe?”
Itwasthematemoaningatmyelbow.Hewasthunderstruck,andasitweredeprivedofthemoralsupportofhiswhiskers.Heclappedhishandsandabsolutelycriedout,“Lost!”
“Bequiet,”Isaid,sternly.
Heloweredhistone,butIsawtheshadowygestureofhisdespair.“Whatarewedoinghere?”
“Lookingforthelandwind.”
Hemadeasiftotearhishair,andaddressedmerecklessly.
“Shewillnevergetout.Youhavedoneit,sir.Iknewit’dendinsomethinglikethis.Shewillneverweather,andyouaretooclosenowtostay.She’lldriftashorebeforeshe’sround.OhmyGod!”
Icaughthisarmashewasraisingittobatterhispoordevotedhead,andshookitviolently.
“She’sashorealready,”hewailed,tryingtotearhimselfaway.
“Isshe?...Keepgoodfullthere!”
“Goodfull,sir,”criedthehelmsmaninafrightened,thin,childlikevoice.
Ihadn’tletgothemate’sarmandwentonshakingit.“Readyabout,doyouhear?Yougoforward”—shake—“andstopthere”—shake—“andholdyournoise”—shake—“andseethesehead-sheetsproperlyoverhauled”—shake,shake—shake.
AndallthetimeIdarednotlooktowardsthelandlestmyheartshouldfailme.
