Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XVII. And Pym
WasitnotthenameofonewhohadsharedinthehorriblescenesoftheGrampus,whohadkilledParker,thesailor,whohadfedupontheman’sflesh,andquenchedhisthirstintheman’sblood?ToinducehimtorevealhisnamehemustneedsbeassuredthattheHalbranewouldattempttodiscoverandrescueArthurPym!
AndastotheexistenceofArthurPym?Iconfessthatmyreasondidnotrebelagainsttheadmissionofitasapossibility.Theimploringcryofthehalf-breed,“Pym,poorPym!hemustnotbeforsaken!”troubledmeprofoundly.
Assuredly,sinceIhadresolvedtotakepartintheexpeditionoftheHalbrane,Iwasnolongerthesameman!
Alongsilencehadfollowedtheastoundingdeclarationofthehalf-breed.Nonedreamedofdoubtinghisveracity.Hehadsaid,“IamDirkPeters.”HewasDirkPeters.
Atlength,movedbyirresistibleimpulse,Isaid:
“Myfriends,beforeanydecisionismade,letuscarefullyconsiderthesituation.Shouldwenotlayupeverlastingregretforourselvesifweweretoabandonourexpeditionattheverymomentwhenitpromisestosucceed?Reflectuponthis,captain,andyou,mycompanions.ItislessthansevenmonthssincePattersonleftyourcountrymenaliveonTsalalIsland.Iftheyweretherethen,thefactprovesthatforelevenyearstheyhadbeenenabledtoexistontheresourcesprovidedbytheisland,havingnothingtofearfromtheislanders,someofwhomhadfallenvictimstocircumstancesunknowntous,andothershadprobablytransferredthemselvestosomeneighbouringisland.
