Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Engineer Sokol's Advice

Thomas Roche got to work, spending long hours in a warehouse on the left bank that became his laboratory.No one can enter but him.Could it be that he wants to manufacture it alone without letting others know how it is made? ...that is likely to be the case.In my opinion, with the "Rosh Lightning, the required preparations are very simple. In fact, this missile does not need cannons, mortars, nor launch tubes like the Zarantsky round shell. Since it is automatic propelled, probably possessing projectile power itself, which causes violent vibrations in the atmosphere, and that alone can destroy ships passing within a certain range. If Count Atticus someday possesses such a destructive missile, we will Is there a way to deal with him?  …

- August 11th to 17th. —Thomas Roche continued to work without interruption during the week.Every morning, he goes to work in the laboratory and doesn't come back until dark.I didn't even get a chance to get close to him, to talk to him.Although his indifference to things unrelated to his work is based on his own experience and only describes the general changes in the whole world, he can't deal with it, but he is now completely in control of his emotions.Why should he not enjoy full sanity? ... Could he not be entirely satisfied with his genius?Wasn't his long-gestating plan being implemented?

— August 17th to 18th.At one o'clock in the morning, we were suddenly awakened by the sound of explosions outside. "Could someone attack the 'Cupped Cup' island?..." I thought to myself.Was there suspicion aroused by the behavior of Count Atticus' galleon "Aiba", which was pursued as it entered the channel... Was it an attempt to destroy the island with cannon? ...Could it be that before Thomas Roche made explosives, before the missiles were transported to the "Cupped Cup" island, these gangsters were finally punished by justice...? These violent explosions rang out several times at regular intervals.I thought, if the sailing ship "Aiba" was destroyed.Then, it would be impossible to establish any contact with the mainland, and the island would no longer be able to resupply...

Indeed, a tugboat could transport Count Atticus to somewhere in the Gulf of America, and he has enough money to build another yacht ... it doesn't matter! ... As long as the "Cup Covered" island is destroyed before Gail Karaj has "Rosh Lightning", thank God! At dawn the next day, I ran out of the house... There is nothing new happening around Pihivo. The pirates are busy with their daily work.The tug stays at anchor.I saw Thomas Roche walking towards the laboratory.Gail Karaj and Engineer Sokol take a leisurely walk.No one attacked the island at all last night...but the sound of an explosion very close at hand really woke me up from my dream...

At this moment, Gail Karage was walking towards his residence, and Engineer Sokol came to me.Smiling, mocking, as usual. "Mr. Simon Hart," he said to me, "have you not grown accustomed to life in this quiet place? . . . have you properly begun to appreciate the advantages of our enchanted cave? Do you no longer expect to be free one day...to escape from this wonderful cave...to leave." He hummed an old French romantic song: "...this lovely place. "Here, my delighted soul. "Gaze at Sylvia with joy..." What's the use of being angry with someone who is naturally a teaser? ... Therefore, I calmly say:

"No, sir, I have not given up, I still count on you to set me free..." "What! Mr. Hart, let us leave a man whom we all respect, and my colleague may have glimpsed some of his secrets from the broken words of Thomas and Roche!  … Are you kidding me!..." what!That's what prompted them to imprison me on the Isle of the Cupped Cup. They guessed that I knew part of Thomas Roche's inventions...and if Thomas Roche refused to confide they would force me to tell it...so I was tied up with him...so they didn't hang around my neck Hang a stone and throw me at the bottom of the lagoon! ...these are good inferences!

So, I answered Engineer Sokol's last sentence in this way. "I'm very serious." I said firmly. "Then," he went on, "if I had the good fortune to be Simon Hart's engineer, I would reason in this way: on the one hand, given Gail Karage's identity, the reasons that compelled him to choose such a secret cave as his retreat and The need for this cave not to be known to anyone is not only for the benefit of Count Atticus, but also for the benefit of his companions..." "An accessory, if you agree..." "Even as an accomplice!... On the other hand, since you know the real name of Count Atticus and the mysterious place where our wealth is buried..."

"Bloody riches from robbery, Mr. Sokol!" "Forget it! . . . You should understand that this simple matter will never be resolved the way you want it to be." In this case, there is no point in arguing.So I steered the conversation down a different track. "May I know how you came to know that Guardian Gale was Engineer Simon Hart..." "It's no inconvenience to tell you, my dear colleague... It's a bit of a coincidence... We have a connection with the factory where you worked, and one day you left the factory in a strange way... But, in Artie I visited the sanatorium a few months before Count Cass visited it, saw you...and got to know you...'

"you?……" "It's me. From then on, I decided to invite you to join the trip on the 'Aiba'..." I can't recall seeing this Sokol in a nursing home, but his words are probably true. "I hope," I thought, "this whimsy will someday cost you dearly!" Then, suddenly, I said: "If I'm not mistaken, you have made Thomas Roche decide to sell the secret of 'Lightning' to you?" "Yes, Mr. Hart, the price is millions. . . . Oh! It's just a little trouble to get it! . . . We stuffed his pockets to the brim!"

"What use are these millions to him, if he cannot take them away freely, and enjoy them outside?  …" "He doesn't worry about that at all, Mr. Hart! . . . The future doesn't worry this genius at all! . . . Doesn't he live entirely in the present? . . . We have people over there, in America, according to his design Build the missiles and let him mix up a lot of chemicals here. Hey, hey! The famous self-propelled missile that automatically protects speed and accelerates until it hits the target because it has a gunpowder that burns gradually! ...this is an invention capable of fundamentally changing the art of warfare..."

"Is it for defense, Mr. Sokol?..." "And offense, Mr. Hart." "Of course." I said. I approached Engineer Sokol, and said: "So...something others didn't get from Rosh..." "We got it without much effort..." "I also paid the price..." "The unbelievable price... And, it touched a certain sensitive chord in this person's heart..." "What heartstrings?..." "The Heartstrings of Vengeance!" "Revenge?...to whom,..." "To all those who opposed him, who struck him, who rejected him, who drove him out, who compelled him, country by country, to beg a fair price for an invention of true and undoubted superiority He has but one thought, one cruel desire: revenge on those who underestimated him...even on all mankind!... Indeed, Mr. Hart, you wise and beautiful governments are not willing to buy 'Rosh Lightning at its worth ' was an unjustifiable mistake!" Engineer Sokol enthusiastically described to me the advantages of the new missile, which he said was irrefutably ahead of the missiles using the Nitrogen gun, which was made with one sodium atom instead of three hydrogen atoms, and which at the time , everyone talks about it. "How destructive it is!" he went on, "it is similar to the Zalintsky round, but a hundred times more powerful, and does not require a launcher, because it uses its wings, so to speak. Fly through space!" I listened to his words, hoping to get a little secret from it.No... Engineer Sokol didn't say what he didn't want to say... "Did Thomas Roche tell you the composition of the explosives?" I asked. "Yes, Mr. Hart,—don't be displeased,—we'll have a good supply of explosives before long, and they'll be in safe places." "Isn't it dangerous to pile this substance together in large quantities... at any moment?... If there is an accident, its explosion will destroy... the island." Once again, I almost blurted out "cover the cup".Knowing both who Gail Caraj was and where the cave was, they might feel that Simon Hart knew more than he should. Fortunately, the engineer Sokol, who did not notice my sudden silence, said to me: "We have nothing to worry about. Thomas Roche's dynamite ignites only with the help of a special deflagration substance. Neither impact nor fire can make it explode." "Did Thomas Roche also sell you the secret of explosives?..." "Not yet, Mr. Hart," replied Engineer Sokol, "but it will be done soon! So, I tell you again, there is no danger, and you can sleep peacefully! . . . Damn! We don't want to be blown up with the cave and the wealth! A few more years of good business and we'll distribute the wealth, and then there will be so much wealth that each person's share will constitute a huge fortune for the He enjoys it... On the island, after the Kalari group has broken up! I would add that if we are not threatened with explosions, then we are no more afraid of denunciations...Only you can do this, my dear Mr. Hart! Therefore, I advise you that those who know the current affairs are heroes, give up your heart, and wait patiently until the gang disbands... At that time, we will deal with you according to our safety needs!" I must admit, this reassured me.Indeed, we'll see.From this conversation I learned that although Thomas Roche sold his dynamite to Gail Carage and his gang, at least he kept the deflagration secret, without which the dynamite was nothing more than a piece of land on the road. Just a pile of dust. However, before closing the conversation, I think it is imperative to ask Sokol engineers a very natural question: "Sir," I said, "you now know very well the composition of the 'Rosh Lightning' explosive. Does it really have the destructive power its inventors claim? . . . have you tried it? . . . Wouldn't you buy a compound as useless as tobacco? . . . " "Mr. Hart, you may be more convinced of this than you appear to be. But I appreciate your interest in our cause, and please rest assured. Last night we conducted a series of decisive tests. Only a few grams This substance reduced several large rocky areas on the coast to dust." His explanation was apparently referring to the explosion I had heard. "Therefore, dear fellow," continued Engineer Sokol, "I can assure you that we have not been disappointed in any way. The power of this explosive is beyond imagination. A few thousand tons of this immensely powerful explosive is enough to destroy Our planet, make it shatter in space like a planet exploding between mars and jupiter, believe it is capable of destroying any ship within a distance, far enough to defy the longest ballistic missiles currently available, danger zone range A full nautical mile... The only weakness of this invention is the adjustment when launching, it takes a long time to change the direction of launching..." Engineer Sokol stopped, and seemed unwilling to say any more.He added: "Therefore, in conclusion, as I have begun, Mr. Hart, resign yourself to fate! . . . Accept this new carefree life! . . . Join in the quiet joys of this subterranean life! . . . ...Here a healthy body can be kept healthy, and a damaged body can be restored to health...just like your fellow man!...Resign yourself to fate...that is the wisest attitude you can adopt!" With that said, the man with the good idea saluted me kindly, like all those who think their kindness deserves gratitude, and walked away.However, his words, his eyes, and his behavior are full of sarcasm. Will there be a day of revenge for me? ... Anyway, from this conversation, I learned that the tuning of the launch is quite complicated!The "Rosh Lightning" is extremely powerful in an area with a width of one nautical mile, but it is not easy to change the direction of launch.Therefore, ships are not threatened outside this area...if only I could pass this on to the appropriate people! ... ——August 20,——In these two days, nothing happened.I walked every day until I reached the end of the "covered cup" island.At night, when electric lights illuminate the cave scene, I can't help but feel a religious feeling as I gaze at the magical natural landscape inside the cave.Besides, I never lost hope that I'd reach some crevice in the rock that would allow me to escape, unknown to the pirates! ...Indeed, when I get to the cave, I have to wait for some ship that passes by here...People below the sea will immediately notice my escape...I will be recaptured immediately...Unless...I want to... A small boat... in the depths of the bay. A dinghy from the Alba, if I can find a dinghy...take me out of channel...take me to St. George's Hamilton. ... In the evening—about nine o'clock—I lay down on the sand under a stone pillar a hundred meters from the east bank of the lagoon.After a while, first footsteps were heard, and then someone talking nearby. I crouched as best I could behind the rock of the pillar, pricked up my ears and listened carefully... I recognized their voices.This is Gail Karaj and Sokol Engineers.The two stopped to talk in English, as is usually the case on Cup-Cupped Island.Therefore, I can understand what they say. It just so happened that they were talking about Thomas Roche and his "lightning." "In eight days," Gail Carage said, "I'm going to go to sea on the 'Alba', and I'm going to bring all the things I bought at that factory in Virginia..." "When they are delivered to us," said the Sokol engineer, "I will install them here and set up the launch pads, but before that there is an essential work that must be done..." "What job?..." Gail Karage asked. "Cut a tunnel in the rock face of the island." "Drilling a rock wall?..." "Oh! It's just a very narrow corridor that can only be passed by one person, a narrow path that is easy to block, and its exit will be blocked by rocks on the outside." "For what, Sokol?..." "I often think about using another road to communicate with the outside world besides the subsea tunnel... We don't know what will happen in the future..." "But these rock walls are very thick, and the stone is very hard..." Gail Karage said. "Use a little Rosh," said Engineer Sokol, "and I'll blow the rocks to dust, and then it'll be a breeze!" There is no doubt that this topic means a lot to me. They want to dig a passage other than a tunnel to communicate with the inside and outside of the "Cupped Cup" island... Who knows if this will provide me with some kind of opportunity? ... While I was meditating, Gail Karage said: "That's it, Sokol, if one day we need to defend the 'Cupped Cup' island and prevent any ships from approaching..., our hiding place may be discovered by accident, or it may be because of someone's denunciation..." "We have nothing to worry about," said Engineer Sokol, "neither by accident nor by denunciation..." "Maybe not among us, but this Simon Hart might..." "He!" exclaimed Engineer Sokol, "unless he escapes...but no one escapes from the Isle of Cup Covered!...Besides, I must admit, I'm interested in the righteous man. … ...In short, he is my colleague, and I have always suspected that he knew more about Thomas Roche's inventions than he said...I reprimanded him so that we could get along and talk about physics, mechanics, ballistics as friends ..." "It doesn't matter!" said the magnanimous and sensitive Count Atticus. "When we have all the secrets, it is best to kill..." "We've got plenty of time, Gail Karaj..." "Let God punish you, scoundrels!" I said in my heart, controlling my beating heart. And yet, what hope can I have if Heaven doesn't help me? ... The conversation took a turn, and Gail Karage said: "Since we know the composition of the explosive, Sokol, we should let Thomas Roche tell us the secret of the deflagration at all costs..." "It is essential," said the Sokol engineer, "and I have put a lot of effort into it. Unfortunately, Thomas Roche refuses to talk about it. And he has made several cylinders of this fuel , can be used in the experiment of explosives, and he will provide it to us when we dig tunnels in the rock wall..." "But...for our trip to sea..." Gail Karage. "Be patient...we'll have all 'Lightning' eventually..." "Are you sure, Sokol?" "Yes...just add money to it, Gail Karage." This sentence ended the conversation, and then the two walked away, thankfully they didn't see me.Though Engineer Sokol said a few words in favor of a colleague, Count Atticus seemed to have ill intentions for me.At the slightest suspicion, they would throw me into the lagoon, and if I tried to cross the tunnel, I would be swept away as a corpse by the low tide. ——August 21, ——The next day, the engineer Sokol did not confirm where the passage would be dug, so as not to arouse suspicion from others outside.After careful study, he decided that the passage would be cut at the northern end of the rock face, ten meters from the first huts in Bihiv. I look forward to the quick completion of this project.Who knows if it will help my escape? ……what!If I could swim, I would have tried to escape through the tunnel.Now that I know exactly where it is.Indeed, in the lake where the fight took place, the final blow of the whale sank the sea so much that part of the mouth of the tunnel was exposed for a moment... I saw it, so... wouldn't it be in the tide? Is it exposed? .. at full moon and new moon the water level in sea estuary is lowest and below average maybe maybe... I'll figure it out. I don't know what use this observation will have for me, but I can't ignore anything in order to escape Cup-Covered Island. —August 29. — This morning, I saw the tugboat leave.Maybe this time it will go to a certain port in the United States to pick up the missiles that have been built. Count Atticus talked with engineer Sokol for a while, and it seemed that Sokol would not go with him. Count Atticus seemed to have given him a few words about my problem.Then, he stepped onto the platform of the submarine and entered the cabin, followed by Captain Spard and the crew.As soon as the hatch was closed, the tugboat dived into the water, and a whirlpool rose up on the surface. Hours passed.The day is over.Since the tug did not return, I presume it will be towing the Aiba. ...and maybe wreck passing ships too. However, the time the sailboat was away was likely to be very short, since eight days would suffice for a round trip. Moreover, judging from the stable air layer in the cave, the weather will be favorable for the navigation of the "Aiba".Also, given the latitude of Bermuda, the weather is very good for the current period.what!If only I could find a way out of this cage on the rock face! ...