"Herbert George Wells. When the Sleeper Wakes" - читать интересную книгу автора

Graham walked across the room and came back to the ventilator again. He saw
the head of a man pass near. There was a sound of whispering. Then a smart
blow on some metallic substance, effort, voices, and the vans stopped. A
gust of snowflakes whirled into the room, and vanished before they touched
the floor. "Don't be afraid," said a voice.

Graham stood under the van. "Who are you?" he whispered.

For a moment there was nothing but a swaying of the fan, and then the head
of a man was thrust cautiously into the opening. His face appeared nearly
inverted to Graham; his dark hair was wet with dissolving flakes of snow
upon it. His arm went up into the darkness holding something unseen. He had
a youthful face and bright eyes, and the veins of his forehead were
swollen. He seemed to be exerting himself to maintain his position.

For several seconds neither he nor Graham spoke.

"You were the Sleeper?" said the stranger at last.

"Yes," said Graham. "What do you want with me?"

"I come from Ostrog, Sire."

"Ostrog?"

The man in the ventilator twisted his head round so that his profile was
towards Graham. He appeared to be listening. Suddenly there was a hasty
exclamation, and the intruder sprang back just in time to escape the sweep
of the released fan. And when Graham peered up there was nothing visible
but the slowly falling snow.

It was perhaps a quarter of an hour before anything returned to the
ventilator. But at last came the same metallic interference again; the fans
stopped and the face reappeared. Graham had remained all this time in the
same place, alert and tremulously excited.

"Who are you? What do you want?" he said.

"We want to speak to you, Sire," said the intruder.

"We want-I can't hold the thing. We have been trying to find a way to you
these three days."

"Is it rescue? " whispered Graham. " Escape?"

"Yes, Sire. If you will."

"You are my party-the party of the Sleeper?"