Кінець рабства
VII
Thiswasunreasonable;buthehadlivedinhisownworldofunreasonableresentmentsformanyyears.Atlast,passinghismoistpalmovertherarelankywispsofcoarsehaironthetopofhisyellowhead,hebegantotalkslowly.
“Aleadsman,youwant!Isupposethat’syourcorrectmail-boatstyle.Haven’tyouenoughjudgmenttotellwhereyouarebylookingattheland?Why,beforeIhadbeenatwelvemonthinthetradeIwasuptothattrick—andIamonlyanengineer.Icanpointtoyoufromherewherethebaris,andIcouldtellyoubesidesthatyouareaslikelyasnottostickherinthemudinaboutfiveminutesfromnow;onlyyouwouldcallitinterfering,Isuppose.Andthere’sthatwrittenagreementofours,thatsaysImustn’tinterfere.”
Hisvoicestopped.CaptainWhalley,withoutrelaxingthesetseverityofhisfeatures,movedhislipstoaskinaquickmumble—
“Hownear,Serang?”
“Verynearnow,Tuan,”theMalaymutteredrapidly.
“Deadslow,”saidtheCaptainaloudinafirmtone.
TheSerangsnatchedatthehandleofthetelegraph.Agongclangeddownbelow.Massywithascornfulsniggerwalkedoffandputhisheaddowntheengineroomskylight.
“Youmayexpectsomerarefoolingwiththeengines,Jack,”hebellowed.Thespaceintowhichhestaredwasdeepandfullofgloom;andthegraygleamsofsteeldownthereseemedcoolaftertheintenseglareoftheseaaroundtheship.Theair,however,cameupclammyandhotonhisface.Ashorthootonwhichitwouldhavebeenimpossibletoputanysortofinterpretationcamefromthebottomcavernously.
