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The surf was breaking far out in the water, at least a hundred yards before the channel.
"Somebody's built a breakwater out there, like an underwater sandbar," Rolf said.
"Yes," agreed Mr. Sheperton. "And a place to bring in a boat and hide it under that sand bridge."
"Camouflage."
The putt-putting of an engine made Rolf turn his head toward the right. A boat was puffing through the
sea, heading straight for the disguised channel. As the three of them watched, the boat came in and two
grimy looking sailors in tattered shirts and shorts leaped from its deck and tied it securely to the posts that
held up the bridge.
"They're the villains that sent the mechanical beast at us," Mr. Sheperton muttered. "They wanted more
sand to cover their bridge and dump into their breakwater."
Another man appeared on the ship's deck. He was chunky and fat-faced. He wore a blue jacket and
white slacks, and even had a perky little captain's hat perched on his head. He squealed orders at the
two sailors, who were now back on the boat, sweating and struggling with heavy boxes.
"Come on, come on," the captain piped at them in a nasty nasal, high-pitched voice. "I want all the
telescopes and binoculars stored away here so we can use all our space to carry people on the day of
the launch. Move it, move it!"
"So that's it," Mr. Sheperton said. "He's the one that your father was worrying about. Bringing in tourists
to watch the launch from here on the beach."
"There must be more to it than that, though," said Rolf. "They wouldn't go to that much trouble for a
boatload of tourists two or three times a year."
"Quite right! How about that, you gremlin?" Mr. Sheperton demanded of Baneen.
"Ah well," said Baneen uncomfortably, "sure and the one in the sailor hat there does bring in people with
guns to hunt and fish, now and then."
Rolf felt suddenly sick in his mind's eye he saw images of the brown pelican and the young piglets,
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
bloody and slaughtered.
"But this is a Preserve!" he said, fiercely. "It's the one little piece of the environment around here that's
protected! And you say I shouldn't report someone like that?"
"But we've never let them harm the wee beasts and birds," said Baneen, hastily. "Not since we've been
here has one of his hunters gained a single prey "
"That doesn't make any difference!" said Rolf. "I don't care what you've been doing. I'm reporting this
man and his crew."
"No lad, you can't!" said Baneen. "Listen to me, now. We mustn't have police and rangers and suchlike
stamping up and down the beach here and tramping all over our Hollow."
"I'm sorry," said Rolf. "But this is one thing I just have to do."
"But you'll listen to me for a moment before doing it, won't you?" pleaded Baneen. "Wait, Rolf, just a
second whilst I bring you one who can plead our desperate case better than myself. . . ."
"Don't listen to him, boy," growled Mr. Sheperton.
"I don't see how they've managed to avoid being seen, anyway, before this," said Rolf. "You ought to be
able to see that oil slick and boat smoke from a ranger plane pretty easily."
He turned to look suspiciously at Baneen.
"Now, now!" cried the gremlin. "It was just the slightest touch of magic we've used in their favor, to be
sure just enough to keep them from being seen. Nothing invisible, mind you. Just a wee distraction or
two to make the patrol rangers look the other way as they fly past the noise and dirt. But just a minute.
Wait right here "
He disappeared with a popping noise.
"Let's not wait for him, Shep Mr. Sheperton, I mean," said Rolf.
"Quite right!" rumbled Mr. Sheperton. "Enough of the blackguard's lies and evasions "
Baneen popped back into existence, pulling along with him another gremlin also wearing green, it was
true, but with a long, sad, greenish blue cloak around his shoulders, long dark hair hanging down under
his hat, and a violin case under his arm.
"Rolf, let me " puffed Baneen, breathlessly, "introduce that grand gremlin musician O'Kkane
Baro."
The other gremlin took his hat off his head and swept it before him as he bowed gracefully. He had a
handsome, if tragic, face.
"Glorious to acquaint you!" he cried, in a rich, full voice, "Glorious! If my heart was not breaking, I
would dance with joy. But who dances in a world like this? I ask you!"
He sat down mournfully in the sand, laying the violin case aside. Rolf stared at him.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Hist!" whispered Mr. Sheperton in his ear. "Don't let this rascal fool you, either. He's a gypsy gremlin.
Do you know what Hokkane Baro means, in the Romany tongue?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl akte20.pev.pl
The surf was breaking far out in the water, at least a hundred yards before the channel.
"Somebody's built a breakwater out there, like an underwater sandbar," Rolf said.
"Yes," agreed Mr. Sheperton. "And a place to bring in a boat and hide it under that sand bridge."
"Camouflage."
The putt-putting of an engine made Rolf turn his head toward the right. A boat was puffing through the
sea, heading straight for the disguised channel. As the three of them watched, the boat came in and two
grimy looking sailors in tattered shirts and shorts leaped from its deck and tied it securely to the posts that
held up the bridge.
"They're the villains that sent the mechanical beast at us," Mr. Sheperton muttered. "They wanted more
sand to cover their bridge and dump into their breakwater."
Another man appeared on the ship's deck. He was chunky and fat-faced. He wore a blue jacket and
white slacks, and even had a perky little captain's hat perched on his head. He squealed orders at the
two sailors, who were now back on the boat, sweating and struggling with heavy boxes.
"Come on, come on," the captain piped at them in a nasty nasal, high-pitched voice. "I want all the
telescopes and binoculars stored away here so we can use all our space to carry people on the day of
the launch. Move it, move it!"
"So that's it," Mr. Sheperton said. "He's the one that your father was worrying about. Bringing in tourists
to watch the launch from here on the beach."
"There must be more to it than that, though," said Rolf. "They wouldn't go to that much trouble for a
boatload of tourists two or three times a year."
"Quite right! How about that, you gremlin?" Mr. Sheperton demanded of Baneen.
"Ah well," said Baneen uncomfortably, "sure and the one in the sailor hat there does bring in people with
guns to hunt and fish, now and then."
Rolf felt suddenly sick in his mind's eye he saw images of the brown pelican and the young piglets,
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
bloody and slaughtered.
"But this is a Preserve!" he said, fiercely. "It's the one little piece of the environment around here that's
protected! And you say I shouldn't report someone like that?"
"But we've never let them harm the wee beasts and birds," said Baneen, hastily. "Not since we've been
here has one of his hunters gained a single prey "
"That doesn't make any difference!" said Rolf. "I don't care what you've been doing. I'm reporting this
man and his crew."
"No lad, you can't!" said Baneen. "Listen to me, now. We mustn't have police and rangers and suchlike
stamping up and down the beach here and tramping all over our Hollow."
"I'm sorry," said Rolf. "But this is one thing I just have to do."
"But you'll listen to me for a moment before doing it, won't you?" pleaded Baneen. "Wait, Rolf, just a
second whilst I bring you one who can plead our desperate case better than myself. . . ."
"Don't listen to him, boy," growled Mr. Sheperton.
"I don't see how they've managed to avoid being seen, anyway, before this," said Rolf. "You ought to be
able to see that oil slick and boat smoke from a ranger plane pretty easily."
He turned to look suspiciously at Baneen.
"Now, now!" cried the gremlin. "It was just the slightest touch of magic we've used in their favor, to be
sure just enough to keep them from being seen. Nothing invisible, mind you. Just a wee distraction or
two to make the patrol rangers look the other way as they fly past the noise and dirt. But just a minute.
Wait right here "
He disappeared with a popping noise.
"Let's not wait for him, Shep Mr. Sheperton, I mean," said Rolf.
"Quite right!" rumbled Mr. Sheperton. "Enough of the blackguard's lies and evasions "
Baneen popped back into existence, pulling along with him another gremlin also wearing green, it was
true, but with a long, sad, greenish blue cloak around his shoulders, long dark hair hanging down under
his hat, and a violin case under his arm.
"Rolf, let me " puffed Baneen, breathlessly, "introduce that grand gremlin musician O'Kkane
Baro."
The other gremlin took his hat off his head and swept it before him as he bowed gracefully. He had a
handsome, if tragic, face.
"Glorious to acquaint you!" he cried, in a rich, full voice, "Glorious! If my heart was not breaking, I
would dance with joy. But who dances in a world like this? I ask you!"
He sat down mournfully in the sand, laying the violin case aside. Rolf stared at him.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Hist!" whispered Mr. Sheperton in his ear. "Don't let this rascal fool you, either. He's a gypsy gremlin.
Do you know what Hokkane Baro means, in the Romany tongue?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]