"Burial at sea 1961" - читать интересную книгу автора (Thompson Hunter S)

There was little conversation when the watches changed at eight. Laurenson took the tiller and concentrated on the tiny, blinking light far out on the horizon.

He could never forget the horror of this day. Bruce Laurenson, proud scion of one of Cleveland's best families, insulted and beaten - by a common sailor, a vicious ignorant bum. Reduced to hopeless jelly by a cheap sea-thug. And if that wasn't enough, his wife was somehow attracted to the brute, maybe even whoring with him.

He wondered what his friends would say if he came back without here. What about his parents? And hers? What could he say? He thought about it for a while and finally decided he'd simply tell them the truth - that she had suddenly turned into a whore.

The light was closer now and he knew it was only a matter of hours. He would get a plane, with or without here. He would ask her, give her a chance but that was all. No fogiveness. And once they got back to Cleveland he'd really lay into her.

When the Sebastian was finally secured Maier seemed almost cheerful. "Okay," he said with a smile. "Let's all get a good night's sleep."

As they started below, Maier put his hand on Eble's shoulder. "I thought you were going to sleep on deck."

Eble hesitated. "Oh yeah," he replied. "That's right." He stayed on deck while Maier went below and handed up a rubber mattress.

They were getting undressed - Anne behind a curtain at the foot of her bunk - when Maier looked in to say goodnight. His voice was friendly and his face looked relaxed for the first time since they'd left St. Cyr.

Laurenson stepped over to Anne's bunk. She was lying on her back with the sheet pulled up to her chin. As he started to speak she reached out for his hand and squeezed it. "I'm sorry about this afternoon," she whispered.

He looked down on her. "Don't worry," he said gently. "It's all over."

She squeezed his hand again. "I wish we'd never seen this boat," she whispered. "I'd give anything to wake up at home tomorrow."

"We can fly," he said quickly.

She stroked his arm. "We can't afford it," she said.

"The hell we can't," he replied. "We have at least that much - probably a little more." He leaned down to kiss her on the lips.

She held him there for a moment, then rolled over on her side, turning her face to the wall. "I'm so tired I can't think," she said wearily.

He climbed into his bunk and turned out the tiny light above his head. She'll go, he thought. She hate it as much as I do.

His mind was too busy to let him sleep, and he'd been lying there for almost an hour when he heard her whispered call: "Bruce, are you awake?"

He kept his eyes shut and feigned sleep, hoping she'd try to wake him like she did when they were first married - by stroking his thighs and stomach until he came trembling to life.

Then he heard the sound of her bare feet padding toward the stern.

Words froze in his throat. His body tensed as he waited for the next sound. Was she going to the head? It had a sliding door and he waited for the unmistakable sound of it opening.

It was faint and slow when it came - not the sound of a sliding door, but the creak of hinges, of a door being opened with slow and painful stealth.

It was the door to Maier's cabin. He clenched his fists, waiting, and heard it shut just as slowly as it had been opened.

Then, after what seemed like a long time, he heard a sound - a strange waling moan, the sound of a human voice forcing its way, under terrible pressure, to open air.

It took him several seconds to realize the sound was coming from his own body. Without realizing how he got there he found himself on deck, vomiting over the side.

Then he was back in the cabin, tears streaming down his face as he jammed his clothes into a suitcase. He paid no attention to the noise he was making, but when he got back to the deck Eble seemed fast asleep. Laurenson ignored him and climbed over the rail to the dingy. The little boat lurched wildly back and forth as he tried to cast off the rope that held it to the Sebastian. But the knot was wet and he couldn't break it.