Chapter 2 Chapter 2 The Count of Atticus

Who, exactly, was this Count Atticus?A Spaniard? ... In short, his name is very Spanish.However, on the plate at the stern of his galleon was clearly engraved in gold letters "Aiba", a name entirely of Norwegian origin.If we ask Count Atticus what is the name of the captain of the "Aiba", he will answer: Spud, and the boatswain is called Evhonda, and the head cook is called Alim, these names are mixed. , indicating that they are from different countries. Is there any valid conclusion to be drawn from the characteristics of Count Atticus himself? ……very difficult.Although his dark skin and hair and elegant manners suggested that he was of Spanish origin, he did not seem to have any characteristics of the Iberian climate.

This person is above average in build, strong and burly, at most forty-five years old.His calm and haughty gait made him look like an Indian maharaja with the blood of high-ranking Malayan dignitaries.Although he was not cold by nature, at least his dignified demeanor and concise speech made him look cold.He and his crew spoke the dialect spoken on the islands in and around the Indian Ocean.As he sailed along the coast, he spoke fluent English, with just the slightest hint of a foreigner. Count Atticus's past, his present, his mysterious and turbulent career, whence his fortune,--a large fortune, apparently, which guaranteed him the luxury of a gentleman's life--he lives now Where, at least where the sailboat was finally anchored, no one knew these questions, and no one dared to ask, because the count seemed very taciturn.He is not the type to make American journalists profit by damaging his reputation with interviews.

People only know from the newspapers that the "Aiba" is moored in a certain port, especially a port on the east coast of the United States.In fact, sailing ships regularly anchored in those places to replenish supplies essential for long voyages.It not only supplements grains, flour, biscuits, canned food, dried and fresh meat in large quantities.Beef, mutton, wine, beer, liquor, but also clothes, utensils, luxuries and necessities of life, they pay high prices for these things, and pay in dollars or other countries' currencies. While nothing is known about the Earl of Atticus' private life, that did not prevent the Earl from becoming well-known in coastal ports from the Florida peninsula to New England.

therefore.It should come as no surprise that the director of the sanitarium honored and entertained the Earl. This is the first time that the sailboat "Aiba" has been moored in New Bern.Perhaps it was only at the whim of the owner that it came to the mouth of the Nez River.What is it doing here? ...replenishment? ...No, because Bomblico Thorvind offers no other ports around, such as Boston, New York, Denver, Cevenna, Wilmington, N.C., Charleston, S.C., that can supplies provided.What was the Earl of Atticus's and bank notes to do with in the little market of New Bern around this bend in the Nez?As the capital of Kerevon County, there are only 5,000 to 6,000 residents here.The only commercial activity is the import of seeds, pork, furniture and food.Moreover, the purpose of the schooner, which had been anchored at Charleston for ten days some weeks before, with its stores stuffed, was as unknown as ever.

So, is the purpose of this mysterious figure here just to visit and recuperate? . . . perhaps, and that should not be a surprise, for the sanitarium has a long standing reputation, and it lives up to its name. Maybe Earl Atticus had a whim and wanted to meet Thomas Roche for a while?The famous French inventor is enough to arouse this curiosity.Here is a mad genius whose invention could revolutionize the modern art of warfare! In the afternoon, Earl Atticus arrived at the nursing home on time, accompanied by the captain of the "Aiba", Spud. According to the dean's instructions, the two were led to the dean's office.

The Dean treated Earl Atticus with great hospitality, greeted him considerately, acted as his guide himself, and accepted Earl Atticus' sincere thanks.When visiting the common hall and single wards of the sanatorium, the dean introduced in detail the care received by the patients. According to him, the patients receive meticulous care here, which is even better than at home. The incessant babbling that the treatment is extremely expensive, but effective, makes the nursing home a success. Count Atticus listened quietly, with his usual indifference and indifference. On the surface, he was very interested in the dean's endless talk, but in fact, maybe it was to better conceal his real intention of coming here.But, after an hour of shopping, he had to say:

"Mr. Superintendent, do you have a patient here who has been much talked about lately and to whom the attention of the sanitarium is largely due?" "I suppose you mean Thomas Roche, Monsieur Count? . . . " asked the abbot. "Yes... the Frenchman... the inventor seems to have suffered a serious injury to his sanity..." "Very seriously, Monsieur Earl, perhaps he will be happier this way! I think that such inventions only add to the already numerous means of destruction, and that mankind will not benefit from them..." "Your opinion is very perceptive, Mr. Dean, and I agree with you on this point. True progress does not spring from it, and the man who steps into it is an evil genius—but does the inventor lose all What about the intellectual faculties? . . . "

"Not at all... Monsieur Count, but in the ordinary little things of everyday life. In this respect he has no comprehension nor responsibility for his actions. His genius for invention, however, is intact, Although his mental state is deteriorating day by day, he is still alive, and if people succumb to his unreasonable demands, I believe he will definitely create a new type of combat missile... Humans don't need this kind of thing at all..." "Not at all, Mr. Dean," said Earl Atticus, and Captain Spard seemed to agree with him. "In addition, Mr. Earl, you can judge for yourself that this is the building where Thomas Roche lives. Although he is imprisoned for public safety reasons, he is still receiving due and necessary care. Moreover, he is in a nursing home. To escape the harassment of some presumptuous ones who might want to..."

When the dean said this, he shook his head meaningfully and added what he hadn't said, while an imperceptible smile appeared on the lips of the guests. "So," asked Count Atticus, "Thomas Roche was never alone?" "Never, Monsieur Count, never. He is watched at all times by a nurse who speaks French, and we have absolute confidence in him. If he slips a word about his invention inadvertently, it will immediately It's going to be documented and maybe it will work someday." At this moment, Count Atticus glanced quickly at Captain Spard, who made a gesture as if to say: I understand.In fact, if you look closely at Captain Spade, you will find that during his visit, he took a particularly careful look at the situation around Building 17 and the various exits around it—probably this was planned in advance. of.

The garden surrounding the building abuts the walls of the nursing home.Outside the wall is a hill, and the wall surrounds the bottom of the hill.On the back of the hill there is a gentle slope leading down to the right bank of the Nez. The building actually has only one floor.Above is an Italian-style platform.The ground floor consists of two bedrooms and a reception room with iron bars on the windows.The two sides of the residence are surrounded by Jia trees, which are lush and lush.In front of the house is a green lawn that is as soft and tender as velvet. Inside the lawn is a forest of shrubs and blooming flowers.This garden, which is about half an acre in size, is only used by Thomas Roche, and he can roam freely in the garden under the supervision of the caretaker.

When Earl Atticus, Captain Spard, and the Dean entered the garden, Guedon, the guardian, was staying at the door of the building. The earl's eyes immediately shifted to the nurse, who looked at him with special concentration, and the dean was unaware of this. It was not the first time that a stranger had visited the owner of Building Seventeen, as the French inventor was rightly regarded as the strangest patient in the sanatorium.However, the distinctive appearance of these two people caught Gaidon's attention, and he didn't know which country they were from.Though he had long heard of the Count of Atticus, he had never had the opportunity of encountering the rich gentleman in one of the eastern ports where he anchored.He did not know that the schooner Alba was at anchor at the mouth of the Nez, at the foot of the sanatorium. "Guyton," asked the director, "where is Thomas Roche now?" "There!" Gaidon calmly pointed to a person who was walking under the shade of a tree behind the building, looking thoughtful. "Mr. Earl Atticus has been granted permission to visit the nursing home. Before he leaves, he hopes to meet Thomas Roche, who has been talked about by everyone recently..." "There is a great deal of talk about him," said Count Atticus, "despite the measures taken by the Commonwealth to keep him in this sanitarium . . . " "This measure is necessary, Monsieur Count." "It is indeed necessary, Mr. Dean. For the peace of the world, it is best to let this inventor and his secret be destroyed together." Gaidon looked at Count Atticus, without saying a word, he led the two strangers to the bushes deep in the garden. The guests came to Thomas Roche after only a few steps. Thomas Roche didn't see them coming towards him, and when they were close to him, he probably didn't notice their appearance at all. During this time, Captain Spade has been quietly and carefully observing the surrounding layout and the location of Building 17 in the recess of the sanatorium.As they climbed the sloping path he saw clearly over the wall the top of a sailing ship.He recognized it at a glance as the mast of the Alba, and thus established that this side of the wall lay on the right bank of the Nez. Meanwhile, Count Atticus was gazing at the French inventor.The man is still in good health and his health has not been compromised by eighteen months of imprisonment.But his strange behavior, confused speech, frightened eyes, and indifference to everything around him clearly showed that he had completely fallen into a state of unconsciousness and severe neurological failure. Thomas Roche had just sat down on a stool and, holding the handle of his cane, traced the outline of a fortification on the path.Then, squatting down, he piled the sand into little piles, apparently symbolizing bunkers.Then he plucked a few leaves from a neighboring bush and planted them in the sand like little flags, doing all this earnestly, not paying any attention to the few people watching around him. It's like a child's game, but a child does not bring serious consequences. "Is he completely crazy?..." Count Atticus asked, although he was always calm and calm, he couldn't help showing some disappointment at this time. "I told you, Monsieur Count, that we should expect nothing from him," replied the abbot. "He should at least notice us?..." "Maybe it's a little difficult." The dean turned to the nurse and said: "Talk to him, Guyton. Perhaps he will answer you when he hears your voice, won't he? . . . " "He will respond to me, don't worry, Mr. Dean." Gaidon said. Then, he patted the patient on the shoulder: "Thomas Roche? . . . " he said rather softly. Thomas Roche looked up, and of all those present he probably saw only his nurse, though Count Atticus, Captain Spard, came towards him, and surrounded him with the dean. "Thomas Roche," said Guyton, who spoke English, "these two foreigners want to see you... they are concerned about your health... your work..." Only the last few words caught the inventor's attention. "My job?..." He asked back, also using English, as fluent as if speaking his mother tongue. Then he picked up a stone between his forefinger and thumb, like a little boy holding a marble, and dropped it on a sandbag, destroying it. he shouted happily. "Collapsed! . . . The bunker has collapsed! . . . My dynamite destroyed everything at once!" Thomas Roche stood up again, with the flame of victory shining in his eyes. "You see," said the abbot to Count Atticus, "he has never forgotten his invention..." "He will die with it!" the nurse Gaidon said with certainty. "Guydon, can't you let him talk about his 'lightning'?" "If you order me to do this, Mr. Dean... I will try..." "I want you to try it, because I think Count Atticus is interested..." "Yes." Count Atticus said, he remained calm, showing no trace of inner excitement. "I must tell you beforehand that it may make him ill again..." said the nurse. "You can stop the conversation if necessary. Please tell Thomas Roche that a foreigner wants to talk to him about buying 'Lightning'..." "But aren't you afraid that he will reveal the secret? . . . " asked Count Atticus. His tone was so strong that Guyton couldn't help casting him a skeptical look, but the enigmatic figure didn't mind it. "There's no need to worry," he replied, "no promises will ever make Thomas Roche confide his secret! . . . as long as we don't place in his hands the millions he asks for . . . " "I don't have so much money with me," said Count Atticus quietly. Guyton turned to the patient again, and patted him on the shoulder as before: "Thomas Roche," he said, "these two foreigners intend to buy your invention..." Thomas Roche stood up. "My invention...," he exclaimed, "my dynamite...my explosive?..." He became more and more agitated, showing that what Gaidon said was true, and that such problems always caused the onset of the disease. "How much are you going to pay?...How much?..." Thomas Roche then asked. There is no harm in promising a lot of money, although the amount is huge. "How much?...how much?..." he kept asking. "Ten million dollars." Guyton replied. "Ten million?..." Thomas Roche shouted, "Ten million... just want to buy a 'lightning' that is ten million times more powerful than any weapon made so far?...Ten million...just If you want to get a self-propelled missile, you must know that when it explodes, it can destroy all buildings within a radius of 10,000 meters! ... 10 million ... just want to get the deflagration that only it can detonate! All the wealth in the world is not enough to exchange The secret of my missiles, I'd rather bite my tongue out with my teeth than sell my secret at that price!...ten million and my secret is worth a billion...a billion...a billion! … " When Thomas Roche discusses prices, he is like a man who has no concept of things.Even if Gaidon offered him a price of 10 billion, this irrational person would ask for a higher price. Count Atticus and Captain Sparder had been watching him non-stop since his illness, and the Count remained calm, though his countenance began to darken.Captain Spade shook his head, as if to say: There is no doubt that the poor wretch is beyond repair! Thomas Roche ran away, running through the garden, shouting, his voice broken with rage: "Billions...billions!" Gaidon said to the dean: "I told you so!" He then began to run after his patient, overtook him, grabbed him by the arm, and without much resistance from Thomas Roche, Guyton pulled him into the house and immediately closed the door. Count Atticus was alone with the Master, while Captain Spard took the opportunity to walk one last time around the garden at the foot of the wall. "I am not exaggerating at all, Monsieur the Earl," said the abbot. "Thomas Roche is evidently getting worse. I think his insanity is incurable. Even if we give him all the money he asks for, we will not what to get from him..." "Very likely," said Count Atticus, "but, although the price he proposed is ridiculous, the missile he invented is infinitely powerful..." "So do those concerned, Monsieur Earl. But his illnesses are becoming more frequent and more serious each time, and sooner or later one of them will make his invention disappear with him. It will not even be long before he The motive of interest, the only remnant in my soul, will also be wiped out..." "Maybe the motive of hatred will stay!" murmured Count Atticus, as Captain Spard joined him at the garden gate.

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