– You saw groupers? – the guest’s captain asked.
– Of course. Big fish with the red eyes which are getting out of orbits – Azores answered.
– And why they red also get out of orbits?
Azores shrugged shoulders. The captain grinned and continued:
– It because grouper very timid fish; having appeared in a trawl, he dies of a fright, and from a fright of an eye at it get out of orbits… I had to hear similar explanations from old fishermen more than once. Certainly, it is the fable. The grouper lives at a depth of many tens of meters. And it began to come across in our trawls only recently when we learned to lower trawls deeply. And here, when the perch is snared and he is quickly pulled out on a surface where pressure is several times lower than for what the perch is adapted, eyes it are poured by blood and leave orbits.
– It is very interesting – Azores noticed – but at what here the TV?
– And here at what. A perch – tasty, useful, fat fish, and it is deeply very difficult to find her! We float by the sea, somewhere under us the most enormous schools of fish – hundreds, thousands of tons float. But we do not see this fish and after many days of heavy swimming often we come back home with empty holds. The people wait from us for fish, and we have a failure behind failure. Frustration of the plan, the administration tears and throws, seamen are nervous…
– But you often lower a trawl and find fish – Azores objected. – I saw what rich catch of the same perches gets to your trawls.
– And how many they do not get, nobody sees it – the captain interrupted. – To one trawler will have the luck to come across a jamb, to another is not present. Game of a blind case. Where it is good? There are days when we tens of times lower a trawl and pull out only seaweed, crabs and stones. The trawl often clings to soil, is torn about sharp stones. We do not see a bottom surface. We catch blindly. However, our scientific researches help us. Perseus surveyed a seabed, studied the course of fish, water temperature at different depths and something other. It helped, but nevertheless the case is not defeated. We live Gulf Stream, and it is whimsical. Sometimes it changes a current a little: sometimes happens warmer, sometimes – colder. And fish visits our coast, disappears, otkochevyvy there where water is warmer. Where last year fish was caught perfectly, today – any catch. And it only because for thousands of kilometers from us, in the Gulf of Mexico, the summer was colder usual or in Iceland the winter became rough. We called to the aid the sonic depth finder and radio lot. The principle of operation of the sonic depth finder is familiar to you? We send under water a sound wave, well, say, explosion of the boss or blow of a bell down. The sound wave reaches a bottom, is reflected and comes back. Knowing sound speed in water, it is possible to determine depth. If the sound comes back quickly, so the sound wave is reflected not by a bottom, but a big congestion of fish. This way is extremely productive and useful, but also it has shortcomings.
Radio lot showing depth on speeds of reflection of a radio beam, and the sonic depth finder everyone “are in own way blind”. To them all the same from what radio beams or a sound wave are reflected. For example, the sonic depth finder showed smaller depth in such place. You think: the sound was reflected from a fish jamb. You will lower a trawl – a uniform small fish. The sound was reflected or from the sunk ship, or from the underwater rock. Other business when we have an opportunity to see what becomes in sea depths. Then we will double, we will treble a catch.
– And the TV will help to reach it?
– We hope.
After tea the captain went to the cabin. Azores remained alone. It began to put the notes in order.
Began to stir the trawler stronger.
“We take to the open sea” – Azores guessed, threw a coat and came to the deck.
Strong wind, sleet, splashes… Strongly swung the trawler.
“And so day and night, in the summer and in the winter, during a calm and during a storm fight against the sea lasts – Azores thought. – It would seem, incredibly hard work. But what at them at all cheerful, cheerful faces! Jokes, laughter, songs…”
The trawler safely cut gray-haired waves, heading for the Bear island. Ginzburg’s assistants in heavy sea boots, in leather jackets ran from a sphere to the captain’s cabin, checking serviceability of wires. The screen of the TV was installed in the captain’s cabin.
Azores approached a sphere.
“Like a stratosphere balloon gondola” – he thought.
– In this sphere there is a radio station? – he asked a question Ginzburg.
– No – that answered. – The image is transferred on wires. In a sphere – batteries of dry elements, accumulators, the clockwork.
– Accumulators for projector lamps?
– Only for a photo cell. Arc lamps of a searchlight will receive energy from power plant of the trawler.
– Means, it is not absolutely a broadcast? – with some disappointment Azores asked.
– And even at all not a broadcast – answered, grinning, Ginzburg.
– Why?
– Because water strongly absorbs radio beams. The radio wave bearing the image dies away, without having reached the surface of the sea. We assume to lower our TV on depth of two hundred-three hundred meters, at most four hundred. At such distance it is easy to manage also wires. It is more reliable and simpler.
At last all preparations were finished. The heavy sphere was carefully fastened to the crane of the steam winch and began to be lowered in water.
– Now it is better to observe not here, and on the TV screen – Ginzburg told the Spaniard.
Azores hurried to the captain’s cabin.
Ginzburg placed the screen in a deep box which so protected it from light that it was possible to watch the screen, without turning off the electric light. Thanks to it the captain could watch both a compass, and the card, and the TV screen.
– However where screen? – Azores was surprised.
It was comprehended by new disappointment when the captain showed it a box, a little more match.
– There’s nothing to be done – the captain told – Ginzburg produced the device by a handicraft method. It is the trial TV. If it equals hopes, then our central radio laboratory will manufacture fine devices. If only… we saw something.
Azores looked in a box, but saw nothing.
– Means, there is no fish – the captain consoled him.
– And it is possible, your underwater eye does not see fish? – Azores asked.
– Perhaps – the captain answered. – But Ginzburg assures that he already saw something on this primitive screen.
Painful, long minutes passed. Azores kept the eyes glued from the screen. Suddenly he exclaimed:
– Look! The screen comes to life!
Makovsky looked and saw the inexpressive, blurring spots on a reddish-yellow background of the screen. They moved diversely and dropped out of sight, again appeared. One of them were allocated on the screen dark, others with lighter frame.
– This is fish – Makovsky quietly told.
Azores stared hard at a magic box.
– Well? – the entered Ginzburg asked.
– Look itself – the captain answered.
That only looked and cheerfully told:
– Is.
– But why it is so vague? – Azores asked.
– Because fish it is far from the TV. We, obviously, about contour borders.
Azores already heard the term “jamb okonturivaniye”. When Ginzburg turned away to give the order by phone to the assistants, Azores looked at the screen again and screamed, joyfully surprised. He saw expressive outlines of the fish who flashed sideways and disappeared in the left corner of the screen. After the first the second appeared, then the third image of fish, more and more…
– To lower a trawl!
From the deck the excited voices, noise, a winch roar were distributed. Sailors developed the huge trawl hanging on a mast and lowered it in water. It lasted several minutes. Trawling fishing by means of the TV began.
In forty five minutes the trawl was lifted. He was full of fish and nearly broke from weight. Azores and Ginzburg ran away down, on the deck. Seamen shouted “hurrah” to the inventor.
– To swing, swing! – they shouted. Then seized Motya and threw.
– Devils! Already swings. Still overboard drop! – the happy inventor shouted.
The captain stopped this game, but did not make the prevention for misconduct. He understood mood of crew and itself was glad not less sailors.
MESSENGER OF ACCIDENT
Fishing went perfectly. The underwater eye faultlessly performed the work. Sometimes the screen suddenly grew stiff, a game of spots stopped – means, the trawler left a jamb. New searches were started, then the screen over again came to life. The skilled captain quickly defined “contour” of a jamb and now could conduct fishing until holds are filled to the full.
Trawlers left on trade for long time and wandered by the sea for months. Now the “able to see” trawler could perform a task for several days. What economy!
People, having forgotten about fatigue, about a sharp north, caught fish, filling holds. Fish was undressed and salted here, on the trawler – it was the real floating plant.
On the way back, as hurried, Ginzburg asked the captain to reduce the course to lower once again the TV in shallow water and to look at a bottom. The captain agreed, and the TV was lowered. Ginzburg watching the screen screamed and turned pale.
– What is? – the captain with alarm asked.
– We, apparently, found one of our dead of trawlers – Motya said.
– Backing!
The captain looked at the screen. Yes, there the stern of the trawler lying upside down accurately was seen.
Iron acquired small seaweed as if a moss. Everywhere five-pointed starfishes, crabs were seen, the fishes attracted with searchlight fire flashed… The inscription “Peak…” flashed.
– It is “Haddock” – the captain told. – The diesel trawler, it died together with “Perch” during a storm under December thirtieth, 1931. And so where “Haddock” died! And the last signals were accepted almost from Medvedki’s width.
– Could carry “haddock” on the South already overturned – Ginzburg stated a guess.
– A sad find – the captain sighed. He nearly died during that awful storm. – But for you, Ginzburg, of course, and suitable… Well, well, do not wave a hand. We understand each other. We found the trawler, and it lies superficially. Epronovtsa will lift him. At the bottom of the Barents Sea many trawlers – and ours, both German, and Norwegian, and English are buried. By means of your eye we will find and we will lift them.
News of the found “Haddock” scattered on the trawler. Seamen remembered the died companions, storm, storms. But unless all life not fight?
Cleared up. However, by the sea huge waves still went, but wind calmed down, clouds disappeared, in the sky the moon shone. Silvery reflections of moonlight danced on waves.
Azores approached a board and, rocking in a step to the steamship, stared in one point.
– What you look narrowly at? – Ginzburg asked.
– You see, shines as an asterisk – Azores answered, specifying afar.
– I see: the moon is reflected in waves.
– No, not the moon – Azores answered. – That shines a bottle.
– Well and that?
– And the fact that if it did not drown, so it was corked. In such bottles there are letters crashed, here that. It is necessary to catch this bottle.
Azores hurried to the captain. Makovsky listened to him without special pleasure. To catch a bottle in which, perhaps, there is nothing and – to waste time. On the other hand, sea traditions oblige: the bottle has to be caught. And it gave the command. The trawler reduced the course and stopped. Rolling amplified. Azores was strongly pleased with a new adventure.
Sailors estimated how to catch a bottle. It is inexpedient to lower a trawl: cells of its network were wide and the bottle would slip through them. The small network with small cells was found, it and caught a bottle.
Azores was not mistaken: the bottle hermetically was corked rubber up and in it paper was seen. The bottle was delivered in the captain’s cabin. Makovsky carefully took out a stopper and got the leaf curtailed into a tubule from a bottle. In a note widely it was written in English:
“On a case of death of the steamship “Leviathan”. I ask to deliver this note to Argentina, Buenos Aires, Litl Street, 344. To Zhuan Hurges.
Blasco Jurgues”.
Further there was a ciphered text – continuous rows of the letters printed on the machine. Right at the end, after the code – an addition:
“In the letter extremely important data. I ask to deliver with the courier. Costs of journey will be paid on the place.
If it is impossible to send with the courier, I ask to report on a bildapparata”.
Makovsky turned a leaf in hands and burst out laughing.
– Some odd fellow – he told. – Thinks that there will be people who will give up the business and will go at own expense to South America to find for the addressee and to transfer it the letter in hope for payment of expenses.
– And the addressee, perhaps, already died or left in the unknown direction – the navigator added.
– It is possible to photograph the letter and to send a picture – Ginzburg advised.
Azores before listening silently unexpectedly told:
– For me it is absolutely clear that Blasco Jurgues who died together with well-known “Leviathan” wished that his letter was transferred without publicity. The letter is ciphered not for nothing and if to transmit this code through many countries by telegraph or bildy, then, naturally, secret polices and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of a number of the countries will become interested in it. Jury encoders will lose a dream and appetite, will not decipher this letter yet. Jurgues, obviously, was confident in ingenuity and nobility of into what hands its bottle will get. He asked to resort to a bildapparat only as a last resort. The last will of tragicly died person has to be executed.
– And suddenly this document contains weapon against us, the USSR? What if Hurges is an agent of the imperialistic power planning tricks against us? – the captain asked.
All stopped.
– Fears are sober. Everything is possible – Azores answered after reflection. – However it is improbable that official diplomatic couriers or spies threw into the ocean of a bottle with the ciphered documents. How the code was cunning made, there will always be a meticulous rasshifrovshchik. Deciphered the Egyptian hieroglyphs. The governments always have an opportunity to direct classified documents with diplomatic mail. If by steamship the state document died, its copies would remain in the ministry. Instead of the died Hurges other person would be sent if Hurges was a diplomatic courier; on that would business also came to an end. Here something other. I believe, Hurges – whoever he was – worked, as they say, at own risk. Perhaps, it is one of the adventurers who opened a placer or something like that. In the death hour he decided to reveal a secret to the relative – Zhuan Hurges, probably, his brother, the father or the son. – Azores took a view of seamen. All were silent, and it continued: – My plan is as follows: the newspaper editorial office in which I work suggested me to go to South America. There now are interesting events. I will go there and I will take the letter with myself. Just in case we will make the copy. And I, having arrived to Buenos Aires, first of all carefully I find out who such Hurges. If it not from our camp, I… hold the letter until we decipher it and we will be convinced that it is safe for us.
– The last will of the dead has to be executed – with irony Ginzburg repeated Azores’s words.