Shout at the Devil - Smith Wilbur - Страница 116

Fleischer.

She stood up quickly.

"Oh, thank God, you've come," she cried with joy as though she were greeting a dear friend. Then incongruously she looked up at the clock.

Keeping warily away from her, Fleischer worked his way around to the opposite side of the bunk by which she stood.

He leaned over and studied the face of the dying man.

There was something very familiar about it. He chewed stolidly as he puzzled over it. It was the association with the woman that triggered his memory.

He made a choking sound, and bits of half chewed bread flew from his MOuth.

"Captain!" he shouted. "This is one of them one of the English bandits."

"kno," said von Kleine.

"Why wasn't I told? This man must be exeCuted immediately.

Even now it might be too late. justice will be cheated."

"Please, Herr

Commissioner. The woman has an important message for you."

"This is monstrous. I should have been told..."

"Be still," snapped von Kleine.

Then to Rosa, "You sent for me? What is it you have to tell us?"

With one hand Rosa was stroking Sebastian's head, but she was looking up at the clock.

"You must tell Herr Fleischer that the time is one minute before seven."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Tell him exactly as I say it."

"Is this a joke?"

"Tell him, quickly. There is very little time."

"She says the time is one minute to seven," von Klein(rattled out the translation.

Then in English, "I have told him."

"Tell him that at seven o'clock he will die."

"What is the meaning of that?"

"Tell him first. Tell him!"

insisted Rosa.

"She says that you will die at seven o'clock." And Fleischer interrupted his impatient gobbling over the prone form of Sebastian.

He stared at the woman for a moment, then he giggled uncertainly.

"Tell her I feel very well," he said, and laughed again, "better than this one here." He prodded Sebastian. "Ja, much better." And his laughter came full and strong, booming in the confined space of the sick-bay.

"Tell him my husband has placed a bomb in this ship, and it will explode at seven o'clock."

"Where?"demanded von Kleine.

"Tell him first."

"If this is true you are in danger also where is it?"

"Tell Fleischer what I said."

"There is a bomb in the ship."

And Fleischer stopped laughing.

"She is lying, "he spluttered. "English Lies."

"Where is the bomb? "von Kleine had grasped Rosa's arm.

"It is too late, Rosa smiled complacently. "Look at the clock."

"Where is it?" Von Kleine shook her wildly in his agitation.

"In the magazine. The forward magazine."

"In the Magazine! Sweet merciful Jesus!" von Kleine swore in German, and turned for the door.

"The magazine?" shouted Fleischer and started after him.

"It is impossible it can't be." But he was running, wildly,

desperately, and behind him he heard Rosa Oldsmith's triumphant laughter.

"You are dead. Like my baby dead, like my father. It is too late to run, much too late!" Von Kleine went up the companion-way steps three at a time. He came out into the alleyway that led to the magazine, and stopped abruptly.

The alleyway was almost blocked by a mountain of cordite charges thrown haphazard from the magazine by a knot of frantically busy' stokers

"What are you doing? "he shouted.

"Lieutenant Kyller is looking for a bomb."

"Has he found it?" von

Kleine demanded as he brushed past them.

"Not yet, sir." Von Kleine paused again in the entrance to the magazine. It was a shambles. Led by Kyller, men were tearing at the stacks of cordite, sweeping them from the shelves, ransacking the magazine.

Von Kleine jumped forward to help.