"029 (B012) - The Quest of Qui (1935-07) - Lester Dent" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

QUEST OF QUI



A Doc Savage Adventure



by Kenneth Robeson







(Originally published in "Doc Savage" magazine July 1935. Bantam Books reprint July 1966.)







Chapter I



THE DRAGON SHIP





THERE WAS no wind, and the authorities later decided this accounted for what occurred, for had there been a wind, many things would doubtlessly have been different.



Had there been a wind, a baffling mystery might never have come to the notice of the world, and to the attention of Doc Savage. A number of men might have gone on living. And a scheme of consummate horror would probably have been executed with success.



It was, however, dead calm on the Atlantic Ocean off the outer tip of Long Island. The calm had persisted since dawn, and it was aggravating weather for sailboats, and at the same time very nice weather for power boats.



The Sea Scream was a power boat, all eighty feet of her, mahogany, teak and brass, and she bowled along at almost twenty knots. The Sea Scream was a yacht, and she had cost somewhat less than a quarter of a million, which made her owner an important man, on the principle that any one who can pay nearly a quarter of a million for a plaything is important.