The Cat Who Talked Turkey полностью

: Probably twenty-five or more. If she’s battered to pieces by morning, the whole crew could be lost. In this icy water, a man wouldn’t last twenty minutes. There are signs of life out there

now,

we think, but the cabin’s washed away and she must be flooded belowdecks. Whole vessel will be a block of ice by morning.

NEWSCASTER

: Yesterday was a beautiful day, Captain. Where did this storm come from?

CAPTAIN ON TAPE

: Can’t say. Seems to be coming from two directions. Never saw anything like it. Wind is sixty-two knots—more than seventy miles an hour. That’s gale force! Temperature below freezing. Whole shore covered with ice. Our wharfs and boathouse are beginning to break up. My men are taking it hard. They want to go after those poor devils out there, but there’s nothing they can do. We’re helpless.

NEWSCASTER

: Thank you, Captain. We’ll hope and pray for the best.

Here are more bulletins from towns around the shoreline.

From Mooseville: Six duck hunters rented a launch early this morning and headed for Lone Tree Island. The owner of the launch is positive it could not withstand this heavy sea. The persistent north wind has raised the water level in the bay, and if the hunters are marooned on Lone Tree, there is little hope. The island could be submerged by this time.

From Port George: Wharfs and sheds belonging to the commercial fisheries are being shattered by mountainous waves. Even buildings set back from the shore are losing doors, windows, and chimneys. One section of the beach is littered with a jumble of freshly cut timber. Rafts of logs, being floated to the sawmill, have broken loose and are being tossed on the shore like matchsticks.

Here’s one from Purple Point: The community pier has been demolished, along with cargo awaiting shipment: a thousand barrels of apples and twenty-five tons of baled hay.

Serious news from Trawnto Beach: The lightship that warns vessels away from the shoals has been torn from its moorings, increasing the danger to freighters that have lost their course in the blinding snowstorm. Large steel freighters are being tossed by winds up to eighty miles an hour. Boats trying to turn and head back are rolling wildly in the trough of thirty-five-foot waves. The Lifesaving Station has been completely destroyed.

(Consults watch) Our Deep Harbor correspondent is standing by. (Picks up phone) Operator, this is WPKX. Can you connect us with the mobile unit in Deep Harbor?

TAPE OF HIGH WIND AND WAVES

,

THEN VOICE

-

OVER

: Here in Deep Harbor the noise is deafening: the howling of the wind, the crashing of huge waves, the cracking and groaning of wooden structures breaking up. A wave hits the concrete breakwater, and it sounds like an explosion. The

old

breakwater, built of wood, is reduced to splinters. The noise drowns out the distress signals from the big boats. They’re frantic for help, but the lifesaving boats have been smashed on the rocks.

The lake is reaching farther inland than anyone can remember. The fisheries have lost buildings, boats, piers, and nets. Houses near the shore are being lifted from their foundations. There’ll be no sleep for anyone on the shore tonight. Over. Back to Pickax.

NEWSCASTER

: Hang on, Deep Harbor. While residents of shore communities are ready to evacuate their homes at a moment’s notice, families living inland are advised to stay indoors. One farmer attempting to open his barn door was buried alive in an avalanche when the wind whipped in and filled the barn with snow in a matter of seconds.

The entire county is now isolated. Telegraph lines are down. Railway trains are at a standstill. Passenger trains from Down Below have been halted by drifts, and travelers are stranded. The destruction of boats and docks means that Moose County’s major lifeline has been cut. Food, coal, and kerosene will not reach this area for many days.

In Pickax, all establishments are closed and will remain closed until further notice. Even emergency services have found it impossible to respond to calls. Firefighters, doctors, and police report they are blinded and completely disoriented by the whirlwind of snow.

When the storm is over, volunteers will be needed immediately to assist road crews in digging out the city.

Meanwhile, city officials issue this warning: Stay indoors, and conserve food and fuel. Repeat: Stay indoors, and conserve food and fuel. And please stay tuned to WPKX for further directives.

This is WPKX signing off for Sunday, November ninth.

Qwilleran made his exit as the stage lights dimmed and storm music of Francesca da Rimini filled the hall. Moments later he returned, wearing other garb and carrying another script. His manner was somber as he signaled to Maxine. The music faded away, and the stage lights came up: