"056 (B028) - Repel (The Deadly Dwarf) (1937-10) - Lester Dent" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

"Absolutely not!"
"Go ahead."
"Doc and Renny got caught in the uprush of water which the thing seems to be squirting out," the girl said. "They had a very brisk few moments and were thrown high into the air."
"Not injured, I hope," Cadwiller Olden said dryly.
"They have very efficient diving equipment. Doc Savage is an inventive genius."
Cadwiller Olden said, "We will act immediately. Doc Savage will not reach the floor of the sea again."
The girl nodded. But she seemed to have something on her mind. She nipped her lower lip with even white teeth.
"You have something on your mind?" the tiny gem of a man asked.
"Yes," the girl said slowly, "I have."
"What is it?"
"I—well, darn it, I know you're not going to like this."
"Out with it." Cadwiller Olden smiled slightly.
"Well—that man—Doc Savage—listen, I never have asked a favor. My brother and myself have been on the up and up. We've been paid, of course. But neither of us has asked a special favor."
"So you want to ask one now?"
"That's it."
"What?"
"Don't kill Doc Savage!"
The girl said it slowly and earnestly, and there was no doubt but that she meant it.
Cadwiller Olden put a small smile on his little face and spun his little sword cane.
"My intention is not to kill Doc Savage," he said. "I admire that bronze man's brain. It could be put to excellent use. I will tell you now that I intend to take Doc Savage alive and use his scientific knowledge, as soon as I can bring him around to an understanding. In reaching that understanding, you might be of considerable assistance, Miss Baldwin."
"Thank you," the young woman said tremulously.
"That will be all."
She left.
Cadwiller Olden looked at Buddy Baldwin. There was no expression in the diminutive, beautiful eyes, or on the small, chiseled lips.
"Love," Cadwiller Olden said, "is a wonderful thing."
The shadow of a horror and fear seemed to come into the back of Buddy Baldwin's eyes and stay.
Cadwiller Olden chuckled quietly.
"Doc Savage and Renny are preparing to descend," he said. "Monk and Ham are on the clifftop, watching. You see, I have excellent reports."
Cadwiller Olden then gave some orders to Baldwin. A little later a dozen men or so left the boat and headed for Fan Coral Island. Baldwin was with them. Strangely enough, the men headed for the spot where Monk and Ham were. But they took a roundabout way. They were taking no chances on being caught.
Chapter 8. THE CAPTIVES
MONK held his pet pig by both big ears and yelled, "You try to kick my hog again and I'll grab your head and put it in your left pants pocket!"
Ham held his ape, Chemistry. A machine-gun procession of sneezes was coming from Chemistry, and the animal's eyes were red and watering.
"You put red pepper or something in that hog's hair!" Ham howled.
"Your ape had no business looking for fleas on Habeas!" Monk snapped.
Renny's voice rumbled out of the radio speaker, "If you comics can't lay off, cut your microphones off!"
Ham said, "I'll cut Monk loose from his, right next to his chin!"
"We're ready to go down again," Renny said.
At this, both Monk and Ham looked over the cliff edge. For the moment the wind was sweeping the steam from the lava in the sea away, and they could see Doc, Renny and the lifeboat.
Doc and Renny were standing in the stern. They were holding an anchor to which was attached a long cable with a large knot every three feet or so. Conversation was being carried on by the radios. Doc had repaired his and Renny's on landing.
"The plan is to make the anchor secure, then use the rope to keep from being swept into the rush of water," Doc Savage explained.
Monk demanded, "You say you didn't get a look at the thingamajig the last time?"
Renny answered that. "Only a glance, through the water. It was big, almost black, and approximately round, as nearly as we could tell."
"Black! You sure?"
"I said so, didn't I?" Renny demanded grouchily.
"Oh, all right, big fists. I just thought it was funny the thing was black now when it was transparent or something when it grabbed me."
Ham snapped, "The girl said it started to change color, didn't she?"
Monk looked around. "I wonder where she went? She said she'd be back soon."
"She went after another camera," Ham reminded him peevishly.
Renny, down in the boat, grumbled, "Johnny picked a heck of a time to accidentally dope himself. We need his help around here."
Monk asked, "You fellers think you'll get that thing lassoed, or whatever you're gonna do to it, this time?"