[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
same---the corridors to port and starboard of the engine room, rows of cabin
doors, which
Largo explained were occupied, the large communal bathrooms, the galley, where
two cheerful-looking
Italians in white smocks laughed at Largo's jokes.about the food and seemed
pleased with the visitors'
interest, the huge engine room where the chief engineer and his mate, Germans
it seemed, gave enthusiastic information about the powerful twin Diesels and
explained the hydraulics of the hydrofoil depressor ---it was all exactly like
visiting any other ship and saying the right things to the crew, using the
right superlatives to the owner.
The short space of afterdeck was occupied by the little two-seater amphibian,
painted dark blue and white to match the yacht, its wings now folded and its
engine cowled against the sun, a big jolly-boat to hold about twenty men, and
an electric derrick to hoist them in- and outboard. Bond, estimating the
ship's displacement and her freeboard, said casually, And the hold? More
cabin space?
Just storage. And the fuel tanks, of course. She is an expensive ship to run.
We have to carry several tons. The ballast problem is important with these
ships. When her bows come up, the fuel shifts aft. We have to have big lateral
tanks to correct these things. Talking fluently and expertly, Largo led them
back up the starboard passageway. They were about to pass the radio room when
Page 74
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Bond said, You said you had ship-to-shore. What else do you carry? The usual
Marconi short and long wave, I suppose. Could I
have a look? Radio has always fascinated me.
Largo said politely, Some other time, if you don't mind. I'm keeping the
operator full time on met.
reports. They're rather important to us at the moment.
Of course.
They climbed up into the enclosed dome of the bridge, whereLargo briefly
explained the controls and led them out on the narrow deck space. So there
you are, saidLargo . The good ship Disco Volante
---the Flying Saucer. And she really does fly, I can assure you. I hope you
and Mr. Larkin will come for a short cruise one of these days. For the
present ---he smiled with a hint of a secret shared--- as you may have heard,
we are rather busy.
Very exciting, this treasure business. Do you think you've got a good
chance?
We like to think so. Largo was deprecating. I only wish I could tell you
more. He waved an apologetic hand. Unfortunately, as they say, my lips are
sealed. I hope you will understand.
Yes, of course. You have your shareholders to consider. I only wish I was one
so that I could come along. I suppose there's not room for another investor?
Alas, no. The issue, as they say, is fully subscribed. It would have been
very pleasant to have had you with us. Largo held out a hand. Well, I see
that Mr. Larkin has been looking anxiously at his watch during our brief tour.
We must not keep Mr. Christie waiting any longer. It has been a great pleasure
to meet you, Mr. Bond. And you, Mr. Larkin.
With a further exchange of courtesies they went down the ladder to the waiting
launch and got under way. There was a last wave from Mr. Largo before he
vanished through the hatch to the bridge.
They sat in the stern well away from the boatman. Leiter shook his head.
Absolutely negative. Reaction around the engine room and the radio room, but
that's normal. It was all normal, damnably normal. What did you make of him
and the whole setup?
Same as you---damned normal. He looks what he says he is, and behaves that
way. Not much crew about, but the ones we saw were either ordinary crew or
wonderful actors. Only two small things stuck me. There was no way down to the
hold that I could see, but of course it could have been a manhole under the
passage carpet. But then how do you get the stores he talked of down there?
And there's the hell of a lot of space in that hold even if I don't know much
about naval architecture. I'll do a check with the oiling wharf through the
customs people and see just how much fuel he does carry. Then it's odd that we
didn't see any of these shareholders. It was aroundthree o'clock when we went
on board and most of them may have been having siestas. But surely not all
nineteen of them. What do they do in their cabins all the time? Another small
thing. Did you notice thatLargo didn't smoke and that there was no trace of
tobacco smell anywhere in the ship? That's odd. Around forty men and not one
of them is a smoker. If one had anything else to go on one would say that
wasn't coincidence but discipline. The real pros don't drink or smoke. But I
Page 75
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
admit it's a damned long shot. Notice the Decca Navigator and the
echo-sounder? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl freetocraft.keep.pl
same---the corridors to port and starboard of the engine room, rows of cabin
doors, which
Largo explained were occupied, the large communal bathrooms, the galley, where
two cheerful-looking
Italians in white smocks laughed at Largo's jokes.about the food and seemed
pleased with the visitors'
interest, the huge engine room where the chief engineer and his mate, Germans
it seemed, gave enthusiastic information about the powerful twin Diesels and
explained the hydraulics of the hydrofoil depressor ---it was all exactly like
visiting any other ship and saying the right things to the crew, using the
right superlatives to the owner.
The short space of afterdeck was occupied by the little two-seater amphibian,
painted dark blue and white to match the yacht, its wings now folded and its
engine cowled against the sun, a big jolly-boat to hold about twenty men, and
an electric derrick to hoist them in- and outboard. Bond, estimating the
ship's displacement and her freeboard, said casually, And the hold? More
cabin space?
Just storage. And the fuel tanks, of course. She is an expensive ship to run.
We have to carry several tons. The ballast problem is important with these
ships. When her bows come up, the fuel shifts aft. We have to have big lateral
tanks to correct these things. Talking fluently and expertly, Largo led them
back up the starboard passageway. They were about to pass the radio room when
Page 74
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Bond said, You said you had ship-to-shore. What else do you carry? The usual
Marconi short and long wave, I suppose. Could I
have a look? Radio has always fascinated me.
Largo said politely, Some other time, if you don't mind. I'm keeping the
operator full time on met.
reports. They're rather important to us at the moment.
Of course.
They climbed up into the enclosed dome of the bridge, whereLargo briefly
explained the controls and led them out on the narrow deck space. So there
you are, saidLargo . The good ship Disco Volante
---the Flying Saucer. And she really does fly, I can assure you. I hope you
and Mr. Larkin will come for a short cruise one of these days. For the
present ---he smiled with a hint of a secret shared--- as you may have heard,
we are rather busy.
Very exciting, this treasure business. Do you think you've got a good
chance?
We like to think so. Largo was deprecating. I only wish I could tell you
more. He waved an apologetic hand. Unfortunately, as they say, my lips are
sealed. I hope you will understand.
Yes, of course. You have your shareholders to consider. I only wish I was one
so that I could come along. I suppose there's not room for another investor?
Alas, no. The issue, as they say, is fully subscribed. It would have been
very pleasant to have had you with us. Largo held out a hand. Well, I see
that Mr. Larkin has been looking anxiously at his watch during our brief tour.
We must not keep Mr. Christie waiting any longer. It has been a great pleasure
to meet you, Mr. Bond. And you, Mr. Larkin.
With a further exchange of courtesies they went down the ladder to the waiting
launch and got under way. There was a last wave from Mr. Largo before he
vanished through the hatch to the bridge.
They sat in the stern well away from the boatman. Leiter shook his head.
Absolutely negative. Reaction around the engine room and the radio room, but
that's normal. It was all normal, damnably normal. What did you make of him
and the whole setup?
Same as you---damned normal. He looks what he says he is, and behaves that
way. Not much crew about, but the ones we saw were either ordinary crew or
wonderful actors. Only two small things stuck me. There was no way down to the
hold that I could see, but of course it could have been a manhole under the
passage carpet. But then how do you get the stores he talked of down there?
And there's the hell of a lot of space in that hold even if I don't know much
about naval architecture. I'll do a check with the oiling wharf through the
customs people and see just how much fuel he does carry. Then it's odd that we
didn't see any of these shareholders. It was aroundthree o'clock when we went
on board and most of them may have been having siestas. But surely not all
nineteen of them. What do they do in their cabins all the time? Another small
thing. Did you notice thatLargo didn't smoke and that there was no trace of
tobacco smell anywhere in the ship? That's odd. Around forty men and not one
of them is a smoker. If one had anything else to go on one would say that
wasn't coincidence but discipline. The real pros don't drink or smoke. But I
Page 75
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
admit it's a damned long shot. Notice the Decca Navigator and the
echo-sounder? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]