Gait lacrosse head. Comprehensive Analysis of the Global Lacrosse Arm Pads Market: Growth Trends, Key Players, and Future Projections

Notes

– Reached postseason nine times in 16 seasons as assistant coach

– Qualified for NCAA Tournament in six of his last seven seasons as assistant coach

– Made it to the Sweet 16 or further three times in his last four years as assistant coach

– Advanced to College Cup (Final Four) in two of last four years as assistant coach

– Since 2013 helped his teams post 100-25-17 overall record (Denver 2013-17, Virginia 2018-19)

Lithium Ion Battery Separator Market – Understanding and Implementation of the Growth Accelerator to Drive the Success, Key Players -Asahi Kasei, SK Innovation, Toray, Celgard, UBE, Sumitomo Chem.

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Key Companies Operating in this Market
Asahi Kasei, SK Innovation, Toray, Celgard, UBE, Sumitomo Chem, Entek, Evonik, MPI, W-SCOPE, Senior Tech, Jinhui Hi-Tech, Zhongke Sci & Tech, Cangzhou Mingzhu, Suzhou GreenPower, Yiteng New Energy, Tianfeng Material, DG Membrane Tech, Newmi-Tech, FSDH, Hongtu LIBS Tech, Shanghai Energy, Gellec, Zhenghua Separator, Huiqiang New Energy

Market by Type
Bilayer Lithium-Ion Battery Separator, Trilayer Lithium-Ion Battery Separator

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Consumer Electronics, Power Vehicle, Electric Power Storage, Industrial Use

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90,000 Captain Jack Sparrow. Suit and image. Part 1.

Captain Jack Sparrow. Part 1:
He is not a great pirate, but he turns his adventures into a legend, and legend says that he is a great pirate.
© Pirates of the Caribbean Filmmakers.

“Play someone like Jack Sparrow, who can say anything, even if his words make no sense, and then try to give them meaning, which is even more confusing, and still get out of the water… This is weird. When I play Jack Sparrow, I am constantly smiling. Just being in his shoes is ridiculous. He can do and say whatever he wants. “Hello chick!” – he can be terribly unceremonious. We are absolute opposites with him. I can be cocky too, but not that much. I’ve always been shy. To become captain Jack Sparrow, to find him in yourself, to become more relaxed, to be illogical and a little cocky, to do incredible things – this experiment has no end. ”
© Johnny Depp

Captain Jack Sparrow, as American actor Johnny Depp, first appears in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl).According to the filmmakers, initially, the character was planned as a minor one. With his sophisticated and loyal personality, Jack had to be contrasted with Geoffrey Rush’s rude Captain Barbossa. In principle, this is what happened, but with significant changes. After Johnny Depp was cast for the role of Jack Sparrow, he enthusiastically began to bring some new ideas for the character’s image. The actor himself said that he wanted to create a character that could be loved equally by both children and adults.

Johnny Depp (Captain Jack Sparrow): – I had very clear thoughts about Jack as he was supposed to be, the character traits inherent in Jack. It was an opportunity to create a different type of pirate, one that had never been seen before. Jack Sparrow was born when I was reading the script in the sauna. The fever was very important to me. The idea of ​​a searing heat. The kind of heat that fills our brain when it is obsessed with one single idea. I think, to some extent, Jack has been at sea for so long that his legs have become thoroughly used to rolling, and the land has become a strange and uncomfortable place.

The writers of all the Pirates of the Caribbean films and the creators of the character Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio assure that Depp not only more than embodied their plan and portrayed Jack Sparrow exactly as he should be, but also supplemented it with a special demeanor. Among other things, the pirate’s appearance has also changed.

One of the first drawings of Jack Sparrow and a storyboard for the film script.

The original image of Captain Jack Sparrow.

If earlier Jack was supposed to look like a young pirate with a bandana on his head and a ring in his ear, the final result of the work on the appearance turned him into something like a rock star with whom Johnny Depp identified pirates. The actor was convinced that the pirates of the eighteenth (XVIII) century were similar precisely to the rock stars of the twentieth (XX) century. In his opinion, they are united by an exorbitant desire for adventure and freedom. The prototype for Captain Jack Sparrow’s appearance was rock musician Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.

Johnny Depp: – Keith is one of my heroes, a guy I think is probably the most harmonious person I’ve ever met. You take something whole and combine it with something like the cartoon character Pepe le Pugh. I felt very clearly that Jack would be like a modern Rastafarian. Dreadlocks. Keith Richards again, look, he has these trinkets all over his hair. He was one of the sources of inspiration for this role. I liked the idea that each of these small details is very vivid and extremely important to Jack as a memory.

Richards often wore a bandana or headband for performances. He loves to weave various jewelry into his hair, including ancient coins, which he collects during tours with the group. Also wears different rings and bracelets. Jack Sparrow is a lot like its prototype with a few minor additions.
His hair is braided in dreadlocks and pigtails, his beard is extended, and his eyes are kayal. Depp said that he adopted this idea from the nomads, who made the outline for the eye to protect themselves from the sun while crossing the deserts.The ancient peoples also used this technique, believing that it helps against the evil eye. Jack Sparrow traveled a lot, so he could borrow many ideas useful to him from other nations, the actor believes.

Keith Richards.

Keith Richards on Johnny Depp:

My son Marlon said, “Dad, you should talk to this guy. He’s a crazy fan of yours! ” That’s how I met Johnny. Before that meeting, I had heard a lot about him, but did not know what he was, in fact, so famous.I thought he was some kind of guitarist, but it turned out that he also acts in films – well, yes, another slacker from Hollywood.
Over the years of communication, we got to know each other much better. Thanks to Johnny, I put on a pirate costume ..
Johnny called me before the movie (Pirates of the Caribbean) was released: “Before you read about it in the newspapers, I have to say that most of my character I licked off you. ” Well, Johnny, thanks for saying. Otherwise, I would have sued you on hell!

By the way, “kayal” (kohl, khol, kajal) means “cosmetics” in the ancient Akkadian language.Kayal has been known since antiquity in South Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. The composition of the ancient kayal included ground galena, surma (lead sulfide), malachite. The use of kayal began approximately 4-3 thousand years BC in the prehistoric period – the tombs of the Tasian culture and the Zero Dynasty of Egypt have images with down-eyed. Initially, kayal was used by noble women, and then by men, to protect their eyes from the harmful effects of the sun – the belief that black attracts all the sun’s rays still exists.The eyes began to paint even newborn babies – from the evil eye. In other cultures, kayal drawings have also acquired ritual significance.
In India, kayal is known as antimony, is prepared at home and is used by women and children for continuous eyeliner in a circle to cool and protect from the sun (these ideas exist on the level of belief and have no physical basis).

Authentic antimony is generally usually dry and is applied in a very peculiar way – the stick is first dipped into a long thin bottle of powder (the stick can be slightly moistened with oil), then placed in the inner corner of the eye, squeezed for eyelids and pulled to the temple.Dry antimony lasts for a long time, and does not wash off for a while.

By the way, the special forces also use this technique.
Black Eye – Black stripes applied under the eyes to reduce glare on the cheekbones from bright light sources. Often used by American football, baseball, and lacrosse players where sunlight or stadium lights can interfere with the game ball (especially in situations where the ball is in the air with bright light sources). It is a form of functional makeup or war paint.

The main action in creating the external image of Captain Jack Sparrow took place in front of the mirror. In general, the technology is simple: Johnny stands in front of him, puts on a suit and looks. Costume designer Penny Rose is used to starting not with suits, but with shapes: making them longer or shorter, the sleeve wider or narrower. And Johnny sees all the details right away. He is very precise about what will work and what will not. And at the end of the fitting, the initial fitting, which took only 45 minutes, Johnny looked in the mirror and said, “Yes, that’s him.This is Jack Sparrow. ”

Johnny Depp: – I remember the first day I was in full make-up and Jack Sparrow costume. I kind of saw my character for the first time. Then Horus entered the room.

Gore Verbinski (director): – He smiled broadly and looked at me, as if asking: “How do you like that?” I was just delighted.

Johnny Depp: – He (Gore) said, “This is it!” He immediately accepted it and knew what I was going to do with Jack’s character.He appreciated the humor. I felt that this guy is able to miraculously run between the raindrops. No matter how bad things are, there is always a certain insane optimism in him. I think there is something beautiful and touching in his purpose. Of course, he can steal and do whatever he does, especially when given the opportunity. But his main goal is to return his ship “Black Pearl”, to return it at any cost.

He was a funny, really funny character.Breathing life into it was my favorite part of the job. It’s just the fact that I’m playing this guy. I think my favorite and perhaps the most revealing and spectacular episode with Jack Sparrow, when he is on the island with Elizabeth, and she sets fire to all the rum. Jack Sparrow, being a master of speech, very eloquent, could not find other words except: “No. You can not do it this way. Stop. You can not do it this way.” Perhaps this moment gave me the most pleasure. He was the most … the most revealing of this character.

Film critics recognized the originality of the interpretation and performance of the role by Johnny Depp: “With his eyes down, a fidgety gait and a playful speech, he portrays a dead drunken transvestite. We can say that his game is original from the first to the last minute. No other movie has featured a pirate like this. There was not even a similar person. It has been hinted that he suffered a sunstroke when he was left on a desert island, but his behavior speaks of a lifetime spent in rehearsals.He is a peacock in all his glory. ” When he comes ashore in a fragile little boat, they tell him: “You are, without a doubt, the most pathetic pirate I have ever heard of.” And he immediately replies: “But you still heard about me!”

Imagine how boring it would be “if Depp played his part as straightforward as Errol Flynn or Douglas Fairbanks Sr. or Jr. It is impossible to take this role seriously. Captain Sparrow’s behavior is so luxurious that the rest of the actors next to him fade. He plays naturally and never laughs at his character.He is ridiculous, but absolutely sincere about it. Isn’t that what made the jury nominate Johnny Depp for an Oscar? Precisely because his acting was so damn good. ”

Probably, director Gore Verbinski thought about this when he invited Johnny to this role. “He is an artist who always chooses the weirdest projects. He is a brilliant actor. He does not need fans, he chooses roles not for a fee, but those that attract him in an artistic sense. It seemed to me that he would like to do something especially for his children. “

Ironically, however, Johnny’s character is not a role model for children. Verbinski continues: “Jack Sparrow is a real con man. He is a great pirate, he is lazy and does not get into fights if he does not need it. He is always looking for the shortest path. The great thing about him is the myth of which he is a part. He is an advertising agent for himself, and he knows how to sell himself perfectly ”.

Not only Verbinski thinks so. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer gave his actor maximum freedom, and Johnny took full advantage of it.Bruckheimer recalls: “He very accurately imagined Jack Sparrow and made him a completely unusual person. We let him do whatever he wanted, and he showed us this unlucky but very cunning pirate. He does not keep his balance, his tongue twists, and you might think that he is drunk, suffers from seasickness, or simply spent too much time at sea. But all his actions are aimed at achieving the main goal. This is all very strange, but this is the charm of Captain Jack Sparrow. “

Still from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

Of course, as soon as Depp agreed to participate in the film, a real war broke out for the rest of the roles. Both young and famous actors wanted to appear in this picture. Geoffrey Rush literally jumped at the role of Captain Barbossa, Jack Sparrow’s nemesis and kidnapper of the Black Pearl. This Australian has already had such great films as Shakespeare in Love, The Quill of the Marquis de Sade and The Kelly Gang.It was difficult even to dream of the best performer of the role of Barbossa.

It is not known whether Johnny and Rush had auditions, but as soon as filming began, the actors immediately hit it off. Both admired each other and were delighted with the opportunity to act together.

Geoffrey Rush (Captain Barbossa): – It was incredible to watch Johnny Depp create this character. He played like a totally drunk asshole. He was not drunk, but every time I looked at him, I thought he had taken eight glasses of vodka.He could barely pronounce words, suddenly dropped objects. It was a very daring game and very professional.

Jack is probably the kind of pirate everyone would like to be. He is relaxed and completely independent. And he looks like Johnny, just as funny and lucky. It seems that Jack manages to get from one trouble to another, and extricate himself relatively unscathed, since he is also smart.

Now let’s look at the details of the costume and the image of Captain Jack Sparrow from head to toe:
Almost nothing is known about the origin of the scars on the face.In the first movie, The Curse of the Black Pearl, you can see a scar on the right side of the lower jaw. None of the film crew really explained what it was, but once Johnny Depp joked that it might be a syphilis scar. Another of the cliches about past exploits is a scratch on the right eyebrow.

On the left are scars from the first three films about pirates of the Caribbean, on the right a new scar in the form of a cross from the fourth film has been added.

Mysterious scar
As Johnny says: “In the fourth part, Jack has a new scar on his cheek in the form of a cross – X.If you cut your face, it will only be a cut. But X? He must have woken up to find that someone had done this intentional X on his face. I am still waiting for someone to ask me “Where did he come from?” But nobody does it. ”

By the way, in the English-speaking world, the letter X in the letter denotes a kiss, apparently because it looks like lips folded in a bow.

There is an interesting history of the emergence of the custom of putting crosses to indicate kisses at the end of the letter. The people of the Middle Ages for the most part were illiterate, therefore, when signing an agreement, for example, on the sale and purchase of land or other goods, they simply put a cross in place of their name and kissed it as a sign of the sincerity of their intentions.

Adam Ant. The famous English rock musician and singer in the 80s, who attracted attention with very eccentric costumes. It was this scar on the cheekbone in the form of a cross that Johnny Depp borrowed for the image of Captain Jack Sparrow. And Adam Ant himself, with his massive rings, hair and everything, looks like Johnny Depp’s older brother.

Make-up Wee Nell, who made up Captain Jack, had a rather difficult fate – to make Johnny’s face as sloppy as possible, but at the same time not to damage his natural attractiveness.V had to grow Johnny’s stubble because, by his own admission, he was unable to grow a beard. In order to keep the braids on Jack’s beard as tight as possible, V used a special super-fixing glue. “It’s almost eternal,” Johnny recalls with a shudder. “You can glue the ship to the water with this glue.” Pigtails have lived more than one life on the set of Pirates. “Now it’s funny to remember what they were like with wire, paper and so on,” laughs Johnny. – Seriously.These pigtails did not want to be fastened with anything. One moment on the set of the first part, where Jack is in prison, turned out to be funny. They then had wire in them. I lay down on the floor and they stood on end. Since then, it has been decided that there is no more wire. It was very funny. I was also often asked: “Where did the gold teeth come from?” It’s simple. I went to the dentist and he put them on. Sanded my teeth and pasted these on. When the film is finished I just go there and he rips them off. Generally strange. Then you wake up, look in the mirror and think: “Something is missing… “Although there are also a couple of my permanent ones, in the back. There is nothing to put in their place. I lost mine. But I like these gold ones. At first there were more of them. I was afraid the producers would not let Jack walk with teeth like this. So I asked the dentist to stick gold crowns on almost all of my teeth. And so he came to the site. The producers grabbed their hearts and asked me to film at least half of it. As a result, there is exactly as much left as I wanted at first. ”

The tarnished red bandana is one of Jack’s most eye-catching things.This is an Indian scarf, 100% cotton, very thin and light. In the fourth film, on the left side, two bones (“zombie finger”) are sewn to the bandana with a ring on one of them, a red bead between them and a Chinese coin (Jia Qing Tong Bao) tied to the upper bone. The composition is closed by a golden tooth from below.
Gold tooth. Johnny Depp said that this tooth belongs to Jack, who accidentally swallowed it. After a short wait, getting the tooth back and washing it thoroughly, the pirate decided to place the tooth on the bandana.The decision to update Jack’s accessory came to the crew due to the fact that in the previous part of the film, the pirate parted ways with his peso, which he previously wore on a bandana. In principle, the move is quite logical.

There is a small bone tied to Jack’s hair on the right side.
A very popular question – “What is this stick in Jack’s hair?”
I’ll tell you everything now.
Johnny Depp in additional materials to the films says that when he was shown this thing, he thought that it looked interesting and even dangerous (after all, it is sharp), and when he was told that it was a deer tibia, he thought that “stories about meeting with a deer that Jack could tell might be too funny to pass up! ” (For some reason, the story of Baron Munchausen comes to mind).
Looks like the dressers themselves did not know what it was, otherwise how to explain that they did not say anything to Johnny Depp? Well, okay, while Johnny is in the dark, I’ll reveal the truth to you.
This is a tool that is used on a ship to repair ropes and sails. This is a marine needle (or in another way – a sailing needle).

This is an antique, real bone needle.

Photos of modern analogues of this instrument.

By the way, in the fourth film Jack’s needle is a few centimeters shorter than in previous films.The events of the fourth film take place about ten years after the third film. Well, apparently the needle was worn off during this time.

In the first three films, the suspension was different. In additional materials to the films, they say about this thing (quote): “a string of Moroccan beads received from a French woman and a coin, an ancient coin from Siam. One of the first two, obtained by him by piracy. And the second … he spent the second on his hat.”

An ancient coin from Siam … (by the way, two more coins of the same kind are tied in Jack’s hair! Probably these are the second two coins obtained by piracy.However, history is silent about this.
In fact, it turned out that this coin is not so ancient (and not so much from Siam, but close).
This is a 5 pais coin, from the state of Myanmar (also known as Burma), was issued from 1952 to 1966 (that is, there is a 300-year inconsistency with the time of action in films, but these are trifles).

Hairstyle.
In the first 3 parts of “Pirates” the wig was not changed. In the “Dead Man’s Chest” it is different from the previous one, in places it is worn out, dirty, frayed.But Captain Jack is a pirate, and this did not become an obstacle. Johnny is always very attentive to accessories. Jack’s wig features a wonderful beaded strand and some of Johnny’s favorite coins. He always makes sure that they are in the frame. The wig was specially made to measure. Moreover, it is made so that you can put it on as quickly as possible. The wig was worn like a hat and was held in place by the bandana most of the time.

“I spent a lot of time with Keith Richards. And he was the one who inspired me to make Jack that way.He is one of the main ingredients in the portrait of the captain. In each of our meetings, I saw something new in his hair. And I asked: “What do you have?” He replied: “brought from Bermuda” or something like that. And I began to think about it. It seemed a lot like Jack: as he travels and adventures, he sees something and thinks, “Oh, it will come in handy,” and ties it to his hair.

As a person who travels a lot, Jack likes to keep himself souvenirs. Thus, his hairstyle turned into a whole collection of jewelry.Already for the fourth film “On Stranger Tides” Jack had his hair lengthened and the number of body kits on them increased.
The hairstyle itself, a lot of jewelry and souvenirs woven into Jack Sparrow’s hair, is best viewed in order, starting from the right of the face:

1) On the right side, from under the bandana, you can see a small braid with a red ribbon.
2) A lock of hair is braided next to the pigtail, tied with a brown rope, for which two Chinese coins are tied, similar to the silhouette of Mickey Mouse.Similar things in the projects of the Disney studio (Disney) are called Hidden Mickey (Hidden Mickey) and are present in many famous cartoons and films. A brown feather is also tied with a rope.
3) One of the decorations that Jack had previously seen in the previous three films, in the fourth is hidden behind a mass of extended dreadlocks and unbraided hair. It is an African exchange bead tied to a strand of hair.
4) Nearby – a short dreadlock with a small Tibetan decoration tied to its end in the form of two small skulls carved from bone.
5) In front of him is a long light dreadlock, to which a coin with a blue wave is tied. Below (under the coin) there is a ring with pictures. Towards the end, the dreadlocks are tied with a rope and ends with an unbraided strand.
6) On the dreadlock, next to the carved shards, there is a tassel. Indian gypsies use similar ones as adornments. An example of a whole decoration.
7) On one more near dreadlock of medium length, brown, small fragments of bones are fixed.This is the seashell of the cutlet (the second name is “mermaid nails”).
8) Near him is a dark brown dreadlock with a feather tied with a colored rope.
9) An old key is tied to the next dreadlocks.
10) Virtually invisible at first glance is a rather large silver voodoo coin, attached to the right to the hair, closer to the back of the head. It is called the “zombie” amulet (or ogre’s coin).

Hidden Mickey.The two Chinese dragon coins are arranged in such a way that they resemble the face of the famous Disney character Mickey Mouse.

Also, strands, braided in a special way, appeared in the hairstyle.
A new voodoo silver coin can be seen nearby.

Silver voodoo coin. It is called the “zombie” amulet (or ogre’s coin).

On the left side, Jack Sparrow’s hairstyle is mainly decorated with feathers, colored ropes, ribbons and only a small number of various knickknacks:

1) The largest decoration on the left side is a pendant made of colored beads, metal bars and medallion with engraved month and star.This is a Pakistani coin (and the year of issue of course does not coincide with the events of the film).
2) A button is woven into one of the braids much lower.
3) There is a sailor’s ring on a long light dreadlock tied with a rope. This is a very small bone ring.
4) The antique watch key is tied to a thin dreadlock at the level of the pendant and is often hidden under the hair, like the button.
5) The dark dreadlock, which Jack often throws behind his back, is wearing a red Chinese knee bead with white dots.
6) Another less conspicuous coin, like the key with a button, is almost hidden under the hair. It is tied approximately to the middle of a long dark dreadlock located closer to the back of the head. Little is known about the coin, but chances are it is Roman.
7) Jack Sparrow has two rings in his left earlobe. Big and small behind it.

Two rings can be seen in the lobe of Captain Sparrow’s right ear.

1/2 rupee coin of Pakistan, 1948.A similar coin is in the possession of Captain Sparrow on a large pendant on the left side of the hair.

If you look at Jack from behind and at the top of his head, you can see the multi-colored strands of hair woven into his hairstyle. Other decorations: these are mainly ribbons, ropes and three small metal objects:

1) A Chinese coin is almost always hidden behind the hair and ends of the bandana. Tied to the end of one of the dreadlocks at the back of the head.
2) On the left side of the long dreadlocks are tied two barrels with jagged edges.These are the same coins as on the Moroccan bead bauble on Jack’s bandana. Apparently spare. 🙂 Above the coins are tied metal beads similar to those that belly dancers hang on themselves.
Jack’s not very long thick braid is tied with a rope, on which a cross, made in the style of Coptic or Ethiopian culture, is suspended.

Jack has a black spot on his left hand near his thumb that looks like an old gunpowder burn.

On his right hand, Jack wears a glove that only covers the palm.Most likely, he needs it so that his hand does not rub the handle of the saber. And also the glove on Jack’s left hand looks like a kind of gardaman to protect the palm when sewing a sail.

Gardaman – is a thimble, fixed on a leather strap, which is worn on the palm of the hand. You can pierce a needle through a light fabric just with a thimble or some suitable hard object, but you won’t work like that for a long time, especially with a heavy fabric. For convenience, a gardaman is used when repairing the sail.

Device: Leather or canvas glove without fingers with a round metal plate located on the palm closer to the thumb and having small indentations. Gardaman replaces the thimble when sailing. There are guardsanas for sewing and for rejoicing sails. The glee guard has a comparatively high thumb guard so that the thread can be wrapped around it and pulled through the cable, and its metal thimble has been pushed back slightly to allow a longer glee needle to be used.The sewing guard is lighter, it is adapted to work with shorter needles; and more often than not, the amateur gets along with them. The sailmaker’s gardaman is larger and more durable than the sailor’s or yachtsman’s gardaman, but both must fit well in the palm of the hand.

Sewing in various ways with the guardaman.

On the right forearm of Captain Jack Sparrow is the Pirate Brand and a tattoo depicting a flying swallow against the backdrop of a sunset over the sea.Johnny Depp liked the tattoo of the character he played so much that after the premiere of the first movie “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” he made himself the same, but changed it a little. In the first film, the swallow depicted on the tattoo is heading to the right, while Johnny preferred that in his image it was turned to the left. Jack was also written under the tattoo. This is the nickname Johnny gave to his son John Christopher Depp III, and it is also the name of the character Jack Sparrow, played by Depp.In an interview in 2004, Johnny was asked why he chose to change the direction of the bird’s flight. The answer was: “You always want him to come back to you.”

In subsequent films, Jack Sparrow’s tattoo differs from the original idea from the first part of the film, and the name under it is smeared in every possible way with makeup, or dirt.

Because of the nickname of the character, it is believed that the picture is a sparrow, but the sparrow does not have a long double tail, and the wings are different. This is a swallow – a traditional tattoo of people who spend a long time at sea.

Swallow – Along with anchors and mermaids, the swallow (bird of happiness and good luck) tattoo shows the enduring popularity of tattoo art in sailing. Traditionally, a swallow is a tattoo that a sailor makes after traveling 5,000 nautical miles. For a sailor, a swallow symbolizes a safe return home, because the appearance of a swallow is “the first sign that there is land nearby.” Swallows, as you know, travel long distances, making long flights through water spaces, during the flight they sat down to rest on passing ships, thereby giving a sign to sailors that the land is close.After traveling 10,000 miles, a sailor could make a second bird on the other side of his body. A pair of swallows is a sign of a good trip.

A swallow, arriving from overseas or flying over the waves, is associated with another world, with death, acts as a mediator between death and life, a distant, alien sea and close, his land.

In the “old school” tradition (the traditional style of tattoos in Europe and America, whose history begins at the end of the 19th century, practically all Johnny Depp’s tattoos are made in it), the swallow is a symbol of the thirst for spiritual food.The swallow symbolizes hope, positive transition, rebirth, morning, spring, sunrise, diligence, home comfort, fatherly heritage. It can also symbolize danger, fragility and insecurity of life, happiness, comfort.

The swallow is not the only tattoo on the body of the pirate captain. In an episode of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, an intricate tattoo can be seen on the back of Captain Jack Sparrow. This is the poem “Desiderata”, written by the American writer Max Ehrmann in 1927.The funny thing is that the movie takes place around 1740. Although there is a tenacious legend associated with this work. Many publications indicate that this text dates from 1692 and was found in St. Paul’s Church in Baltimore, but this is not the case.

The title of the poem is translated from Latin as “what they want”, “what is lacking.”
You can read more about Captain Jack Sparrow’s tattoos in this magazine: here and here.

Tattoo of Captain Jack Sparrow in the form of a swallow
from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

Tattoo of Captain Jack Sparrow in the form of a swallow
from the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”.

Continued: Captain Jack Sparrow. Part 2 >>

Source.
Source: Vitaly Sparoff

Dantalian Library / Volume 4 / Story One: Book of Slits

She took this book by accident.

Old foreign language dictionary with a burnt-out cover.

A dry June breeze stirred the leaves of the trees in the garden.

The scarlet sunset sky has acquired the shade of onyx.

The girl’s shadow stretches across almost the entire lawn.

An open leather bag was lying on the bench. Seeing the book inside, the girl took it without a second thought.

“Probably, someone has forgotten, it should be returned to the owner,” she thought. Surely the find belonged to one of the students of this school.

The girl opened the cover, hoping to find the owner’s name, but stopped in surprise, feeling something strange.

– Huh?

Something warm ran down my hand. It painted her palm red, ran down her wrist, to her elbow, and dripped to the ground. When the girl realized that some kind of liquid was streaming from the pages of the book, a whole puddle had already flowed under her feet. A sickening smell hung in the air.

– This is … what? .. Blood ?!

The numb girl released the book, and she fell to the ground.

A human hand appeared from its pages.

White, bloodless.

She got out further and further.

What came out of the book gradually acquired volume, as if a balloon was inflated.

Soon the whole person appeared from the gaps between the pages.

It was a tall woman with parchment-white skin. Her eyes were rolling in terror, and a wound gaped in her belly …

A vertical, dark incision stretched from the solar plexus to the perineum.

Its depth and the amount of blood that flowed out clearly indicated that the woman was dead.

– A-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a!

The girl grabbed her head with bloody hands and screamed wildly.

Episode 13: Dried Flower

1

The soft, hot rays of the afternoon sun illuminated the majestically towering library, a large three-story stone building entwined with ivy.

There was a covered terrace on the second floor.

On an old wooden bench, surrounded by flowers in tubs, two are seated: a young man in a leather frock coat and a short girl in coal-black clothes.

The young man was asleep, leaning back. He looked about twenty. Even in a dream, he somehow managed to maintain a decent posture, which indicated a good upbringing, and also spoke of the ability to control himself. There was also something in him from a seasoned soldier who even in a dream knows where his weapon is: in a matter of seconds such one can wake up and begin to act.

– Hughie … – the girl pushed him on the cheek with a mug. – Huey … Huey!

– M …

The young man, who was named Hughie, winced at such a free treatment, mumbled something with displeasure and opened his eyes.

– On.

Demonstratively holding out the empty mug to him, the girl arrogantly puffed out her chest.

She was as beautiful as a finely crafted porcelain doll.

Eyes with which the night itself could look, flowing dark hair.

Strange – either armor or dress – the robe was also black. It looked like the ceremonial vestments of medieval knights.

Layers of ruffles and lace made the skirt very fluffy. Metal bracers and a waist plate outlined the contours of the body.And on the chest, where the ribbon or boutonniere was usually located, a rough box gleamed dully with steel – an old lock attached by chains to a leather collar.

– And what is it? – Huey tilted his head in bewilderment, looking from the mug to the girl.

Nothing out of the ordinary – a simple small metal mug. It smelled faintly of black tea, but it was already empty.

– My throat is dry. Pour me some more immediately, ”the girl ordered. She handed him a mug, and she knelt on the bench, her armor clinking, and reached over to the table, on which lay a crispy bun wrapped in oiled paper.

Taking it, she bit into the sugar-sprinkled muffin and sharply slammed her fist on the table, demanding tea this very second.

Huey shook his head ruefully.

– Dalian, are you still full? .. And are you munching my portion of lunch there?

“Any fools who collapsed here like a log don’t deserve buns,” Dalian said arrogantly, looking at the young man. – Who are you to sleep in broad daylight? Pretending to be dead possum? I just thought you really have a face like a marsupial.

– What else is a “face like a marsupial”? .. – Huey winced, sighed and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. – I drove all night. Give me a nap.

– Come on, don’t sleep, marsupial man! I said I was thirsty!

– Yes, yes … Got it, – Disward shrugged his shoulders wearily, got up and pulled a thermos out of his travel bag. Filling a mug with warm tea, he involuntarily glanced into the distance.

The stone building of the boarding house’s library stood on a gentle hill near the sea.It was surrounded by vast fields and green pastures in which figures of grazing cows could be seen. Huey narrowed his eyes, admiring the idyllic landscape, and remarked admiringly:

– What a peaceful city.

– This is the backwoods. The usual wilderness, ”Dalian snorted softly.

– Pensions are being built in such places. First of all, because the air here is clean. So I think.

– Too little powdered sugar is put on the buns here. They’re not sweet enough, ”the girl muttered grimly, lips shiny with butter and sugar, and turned to the building behind her.- However, they can afford a school library. For the sake of such a collection of books, I can close my eyes to the taste of buns and stay here for a while.

– But I wouldn’t stay for a long time … – Huey said uncomfortably.

Dalian looked at him calmly.

– Why are you so tense? Do you feel some kind of sin behind you?

– Yes, I’m not tense, I just can’t calm down. You and I are now at the girls’ boarding house, after all, ”Huey looked around again, wincing.

They were in the south of the kingdom, in a boarding house for young aristocrats from high society near a small seaside town. About four hundred girls from eleven to eighteen years old studied here. They lived in hostels called houses. Naturally, the staff consisted of practically only women.

Traditional boarding school for girls, in which considerable attention was paid to optional activities: sports, arts. This is probably why there were many female students in the schoolyard even after school.

Everyone, with the exception of a few, looked with undisguised curiosity at Huey, an obvious stranger. Some did not take their eyes off him, as if evaluating his appearance, while others looked frightened, as if they were a criminal. Their attention bothered the young man in order.

– A pitiful little thing. Has succumbed to the spell like a crowd of little girls. Better to look at them like a regular radish * in uniform.

– Radish … – Huey grinned and handed Dalian a mug of tea.

At that moment, someone called out to them from behind:

– Hey.Hey there you are!

Judging by the voice, a young girl. The young man involuntarily became wary, because he discerned obvious accusatory notes in the stranger’s voice, slowly turned around … And looked in bewilderment at the unexpected visitor.

A girl in a knitted vest and a plaid skirt, the local school uniform, was looking at them, leaning over the windowsill. A flame of determination burned in large eyes. She was fifteen or sixteen years old, but she looked older.

– Who are you and what are you doing here? She asked, frowning, looking very serious.

Her brown hair, tied in a ponytail, swayed slightly as she moved her head.

The girl was somewhat reminiscent of a vigilant herding dog, which made Dalian duck behind Huey like a frightened animal: she was terribly afraid of dogs.

– Ah … I think you shouldn’t consider us suspicious subjects … more or less, – the young man answered with a friendly smile.

The girl in black added arrogantly, still hiding behind his back:

“As you can see, we are having afternoon tea.

– At tea … – she repeated in surprise. – Who gave you permission? Actually, this is a library.

Dalian laughed scornfully.

– So I need your permission to drink tea here? So you are the hooligan library manager? Library boss of the pranksters?

– Huh? Of course not …

– Then why are you angry? Dalian asked and broke off a piece from a bun. – You are probably hungry too? Then I’ll feed you a little slice of my bun … Here you go.

– What is it? .. No! – Raising her eyebrows, the girl shouted, leaned on the windowsill and climbed over it onto the terrace. – You don’t go to this school, do you? Infiltrated without demand? Are you intruders?

Looking at them intently, the stranger pulled out from behind her back a long and narrow wooden stick with a net at the end. The lacrosse stick * she held out in front of her like a weapon.

Dalian looked at her grimly.

– What are you making noise. Quiet, radish.

– Huh ?! Who is this radish ?! I AM?

The student trembled with anger, gripping the stick with both hands.

The girl in black replied seriously:

– If you don’t like “radish”, I can call you “radish”.

– This is even worse! Who are you ?! – howled the stranger and waved her stick.

Huey shrugged wearily.

– We have Miss Radin’s permission, so you can drop your suspicions.

– Headmistress? – the girl widened her eyes.

The youth nodded calmly.

– We’re searching here. Our friend works at the school … This is Dalian.And I’m Hugh Anthony Disward. You can just Huey.

– I am Jessica … Jessica Elphinston. Fifth grade, – she reluctantly introduced herself and slipped the stick into her bag. And then she thought about something and became stern. – You said that you are looking for? Are you a police officer? She asked, looking from Hughie to Dalian and back.

– We? – the young man grinned. – Are they similar?

– No … They don’t look alike, – Jessica shook her head uncertainly and pursed her lips thoughtfully. – Then maybe you are detectives? Did you hear that rumor?

– Hearing?

– They say there is a serial killer hiding in our school who escaped from prison.A few days ago, a teacher and a student disappeared. The pupils believe that this is the work of that killer. Have you come to investigate this case?

– Serial killer … Benjamin Diffring? .. – Huey looked down slightly and shook his head. “We heard about two people missing, but, unfortunately, we didn’t come to arrest Diffring.

– Then why? – the girl dropped her shoulders in disappointment. The chestnut ponytail swayed weakly.

“We’re looking for a book,” Dalian replied coldly.

Jessica blinked.

– A book?

– Don’t they come to the library for a book?

– Uh, that’s … so, but …

The girl looked at the building in bewilderment. Huey was teasingly curious:

– By the way, Jessica, what did you do in the library? As far as I know, students are not allowed to enter this floor.

– Eh? And … well …

– And the stick behind your back for self-defense? Did you go in search of a serial killer? – the young man narrowed his eyes, looking at her shrewdly.

– U … – the girl hesitated.

Dalian took a deep breath.

– Such a baby, but she went to wander with a piece of wood at the ready in a deserted place. You present yourself as a murderer on a silver platter. You are either reckless or stupid … Isn’t everything all right with your head?

Jessica’s breath caught in her throat.

She defiantly stared at the girl and abruptly, like a puppy guarding its territory from a novice, spoke:

– W-shut your mouth! Actually, I didn’t want to do this.However … – but she did not finish the sentence.

Suddenly a scream was heard from the direction of the schoolyard. There was a genuine, pure fear of death in him.

-…

The three quickly looked at each other.

2

Huey was the first to come to his senses and jumped, swinging the hem of his coat.

– Dalian!

He grabbed the girl with a roll in his mouth under his arm, like some kind of bag, and started to run.

– Stop, Huey! Here is impudent! I’m still drinking tea! ..

The black-haired woman kicked, but the young man held her tightly.Jessica stared after them, dazed.

– W … wait! Hey, wait a minute!

And rushed after them.

The scream did not subside. Its source was discovered not far away.

One of the students, a stranger covered in blood, stood in the middle of the garden. She could no longer scream, and only moaned hoarsely. Huey knew from afar that something out of the ordinary had happened.

– What happened here ?!

He barely had time to catch the girl who began to fall over.

Dalian, whom he almost flung aside, rolled across the lawn. With an extremely displeased look.

– Huey!

She jabbed her finger into a bloody bag and several books, on top of which lay a half-naked woman. She was about thirty. Tall, strong. The abdomen was crossed by a long incision made with something very sharp, the face darkened with cadaveric spots.

– A corpse? .. But … this is …

Huey calmly looked around. Something in the lying body alerted him.

The only witness he was holding in his arms shook her head in dismay.

– It’s … it’s not me. I don’t know… ”she hissed softly. – W-someone … the bag was lying … I went over, thought to find the owner … – she muttered, as if delirious.

The youth nodded silently.

At that moment, the girl fainted. Apparently, the shock was beyond her strength.

Jessica ran up, panting, and looked over Huey’s shoulder at the corpse.

– Teacher … Nikola … – she gasped.

Disward, still calm, turned around.

– Do you know her?

The pale girl nodded.

– She is from school … The commandant of the hostel … One of the two missing. Suddenly disappeared last weekend. We wondered if the killer had kidnapped her …

– Hughie, what is the cause of death? – Standing up, Dalian asked, dispassionately examining the body.

The young man bent over the body and pointed to a large wound:

– I’m not a doctor, I won’t say for sure, but … The cause of death was apparently she.

No more noticeable damage was observed. It doesn’t look like the belly was ripped open in the heat of the fight.Someone wielded the cutter decisively and methodically and pulled out some of the entrails, as if performing some kind of ritual. However, the accuracy and accuracy testified, rather, to the deviant * mindset of the criminal.

Dalian grimaced in displeasure.

– That is, they cut her stomach during her lifetime, why did she die?

– Yes. Nothing supernatural. The most common human crime, ”Huey replied shortly.

These words made Jessica angry:

– An ordinary human crime ?! Are you saying it was done by a normal person ?! – she flared up, pressing on the young man.

Disward smiled softly and replied with a slight sadness:

– I do not presume to judge the mental state of the criminal, but in the war I have seen more disfigured bodies.

Jessica was surprised and froze.

– Are you a soldier?

– Well, what are you, – Huey spread his hands with a smile.

The girl looked at him in silence. She had not expected to see a young, well-bred aristocrat from that side.

Dalian looked at her with no apparent interest.

“Only the cause of death is common here,” she said emotionlessly.

– Yeah, – the young man agreed.

– Eh? What do you mean? Jessica tilted her head to one side.

Huey straightened his back, looked around the garden and spoke under his breath:

– Where did the corpse come from?

– Where from? ..

– Judging by the condition of the wound, and even by the removed organs, he is several hours old. That is, the woman was brought here already dead.

– This is … I understand, but … – Jessica blinked, puzzled.

Dalian sighed wearily.

– Then why was there so much blood flowing as if she had been killed right here? And where did the criminal disappear, who should have been doused with blood even more than hers, – he pointed to the first witness, who was lying motionless on the grass. – Where are the tracks?

– A …

The amazed girl looked down at her feet. A crimson puddle spread across the lawn, but the killer really left no footprints.

– First of all, he could not bring such a large corpse unnoticed here, in a prominent place.Or did he stuff it into this tiny bag? – the girl in black sharply threw phrases.

Jessica shook her head hesitantly.

– Well, this is definitely impossible … He acted differently.

– Yes … So the criminal got the forbidden knowledge from the phantom book, which should not exist in this world … I’m sure we are dealing with the owner of the so-called ghost book, – concluded Dalian, without addressing anyone in particular.

Jessica looked up sharply.Apparently, she remembered why the strange couple came to school.

– The Ghost Book … Are you looking for it?

Huey shrugged casually and replied a little annoyed:

– Yeah. Frankly, it would be better if he had only a ghostly book, and also a thirst for murder … We got a problem owner, right?

3

It was late at night.

An old lamp illuminated the stone floor and the tall bookcases almost to the ceiling.

Huey sat cross-legged on a battered wooden stand.Dalian was standing on tiptoe not far from him, looking for some book.

No one began to notify the students about the found corpse, which was later handed over to the hastily arrived police.

The guards of order announced that they would wait for reinforcements from the headquarters – there were few policemen in the small town – and from tomorrow they will start looking for the criminal, but for now they will leave a few people.

Of course, the guardians of the law were looking for the escaped Diffring, but no one saw that it was he who killed the teacher, and the corpse was found under mysterious circumstances.It seems that they themselves have become quite confused.

Presumably, the school authorities wanted to avoid unnecessary hype by allowing a large detachment of police officers to enter the facility. It understood that the news of the penetration of a maniac into a boarding school for girls from high society would cause a huge scandal.

– Dalian … let’s wrap up. We still need to find where to spend the night, ”Huey glanced at her pocket watch.

The girl looked at him with incomprehensible glee.

– Huey, I found something worthwhile. Come and get down on all fours.

– On all fours? .. What’s there?

The youth stood where Dalian was pointing and bent down. The girl immediately grabbed his collar from behind.

– Like this. And don’t move. Hmph!

She climbed onto his back. Disward slapped his forehead lightly and straightened.

– Hey.

– Oh, here … She said, don’t move!

Dalian flopped to the floor and stared at Huey in annoyance.

– Even if you do not reach, but this is not a reason to use me as a stepladder, – the young man sighed.

The girl looked away with feigned indifference.

– Don’t find fault. I have a reward for you.

– Which one this time? Huey grumbled and looked at the homemade brochure in her hand. It contained newspaper clippings and typewritten sheets. Apparently, Dalian was looking for her. – What it is?

– Information on Benjamin Diffring.

– About Diffring? Where are they from in the school library?

– Reports collected by the student. There are forensic excerpts and news of his crimes here.

– Reports from female students? Huey raised his eyebrows. “Are girls from a prestigious school studying a serial killer?” Where the world is heading …

“There’s not much to make a fuss about,” Dalian replied calmly. “They are at the age when curiosity is strongest.

– Here’s the thing.

Disward glanced at the filing over the girl’s shoulder and wondered how detailed the information was.Young aristocrats collected all the available data from Diffringe: from what he was like in childhood, to his mental state and motives for crimes. The information was incomplete, but it was already something.

– Benjamin Diffring is a pseudonym, his real name is unknown. Born in the capital’s slums … huh?

As Huey went deeper into the text, his eyes grew darker and darker.

No parent information. The exact age has not been established. Probable – over twenty-five years old.The first murder was committed eight years ago. It is confirmed that in the six years preceding his imprisonment, he took the lives of eleven people. Perhaps more. High intelligence and lack of moral principles. A typical maniac.

The descriptions of the murders were sickening. All the victims were young women, the cause of death was abdominal dissection. It seemed that no one would feel pity for him.

Towards the end, however, Disward became perplexed.

– Was arrested two years ago and sentenced to death …

– However, he did not wait for the execution of the sentence and fled, – Dalian finished and threw him a newspaper two weeks ago.

One of the articles described the escape in all colors. His method has remained unrevealed to this day. However, it was reported that Diffring took with him a book, which he obtained already in prison.

Huey sighed softly and put the newspaper aside.

– If he took the ghostly book … then, most likely, he escaped thanks to the knowledge he received.

“The question is which one,” Dalian said dispassionately. – How did he run away? How did you bring the body? We won’t be able to take the ghost book from him until we find out.Otherwise, it is not clear why we dragged ourselves into this backwater, where there are only girls.

– Target? – Huey muttered seriously and fell into silence.

The girl looked at him with a heavy look.

– M?

– This also applies to Diffring … Why does he revolve around this school? Of course, it is close to the prison, but …

– There are a lot of girls, potential victims, isn’t it? – said Dalian dispassionately, but the young man did not agree.

– I also thought so at first, but … It seems that this is not the case … M?

– What?

They heard footsteps and raised their heads.

Gait light and fast. It seemed that even in the steps one could feel joy and carelessness. Like a puppy jumping on a lawn.

A man with a swaying ponytail and a long narrow case behind his back was climbing the stairs. Their new acquaintance.

– Jessica? Huey winced.

– What did this girl forget here alone late at night? Dalian sighed deeply.

Even if everything went without official statements, a corpse is a corpse. Undoubtedly, the students were forbidden to leave the hostel.There were rumors about a maniac who had entered the territory.

Jessica couldn’t have been unaware of this, but she made her way to the library anyway. There were few possible reasons for this.

– Is it really … she’s looking for us? .. Bad business, – gloomy Disward stood up.

Dalian said nothing, just glared at his back.

4

Sneaking out of the dorm, Jessica wandered through the dark library looking for an oddly dressed couple.

Tall cabinets were constantly blocking the way, and she did not get far, despite the bright enough moonlight.Moreover, my legs could hardly move because of the fear of the dark.

– That’s the same … And where did they go? .. – the girl muttered with regret.

And then she heard a quiet groan in the darkness. He walked from behind a thick column.

– Eh …

Surprised Jessica stops.

She was standing near the terrace where she had met Huey and Dalian in the afternoon, in the hallway between the reading room and the archive.

– What? Who is there?

The girl lowered the basket in her right hand to the floor and pulled the stick out of the bag behind her back.The wooden stick could not be considered a serious weapon, but it was familiarly in the hand and could have been useful for defense.

Jessica put it in front of her and walked cautiously forward.

A man lay in the shadow of the column. A plump and tall student for her age in a school uniform. Jessica recognized her. There were not many girls studying here anyway, and this one became especially famous in the light of recent events.

– Matilda ?!

Matilda Linker was one of the two who disappeared a few days ago.

– Matilda! How are you, Mati ?! Hold on!

Jessica forgot about everything and rushed to her friend. She seemed to have heard her and exhaled weakly. She has not yet died, despite a serious injury. This gave hope.

– Wait, I’ll call someone now! – exclaimed the girl, jumped up and was about to run to the exit, when suddenly a stranger blocked her way.

Short, about her height, a man with disproportionately long arms and a haircut “close to zero”. His feet were bare, and his gray clothes were devoid of pockets and jewelry.The stranger’s lips were drawn into a grin.

– Who are you ?! And what are you doing here? .. – Jessica managed to squeeze out through the chattering of her teeth.

Silly question. Late at night a man in a prison robe is walking around the boarding house. Who is he? That’s right: serial killer Benjamin Diffring.

– Don’t come near!

The girl waved her stick threateningly.

Diffring narrowed his eyes a little and smiled even wider, and in the next instant Jessica’s hands felt a strong blow, and the stick flew to the side: the maniac hit her with a narrow military knife.

Incredible, superhuman strength. Where does she come from in such a short man?

Benjamin exhaled.

The girl looked at him with a twisted face with fear. And suddenly she noticed an old book under his arm: leather cover, title in a foreign language …

– Eh … this book … I saw it then! She exclaimed involuntarily.

The killer’s shoulders trembled weakly. He intercepted the knife and attacked the girl.

Frozen, Jessica stared dazedly at the approaching blade.

– N … no-oo-oo-oo!

– Jessica, freeze!

A shot rang out in the dark corridor. The bullet whizzed right in front of Diffring’s nose and hit the wall, scattering pale sparks. The man bounced back like a straightened spring.

A young man in a leather frock coat blocked the girl with himself.

– Huey ?!

– Are you okay, Jessica?

Disward was aiming a large military-grade revolver at Diffring. And he, without lowering the knife, fell to the floor in a strange position and froze, only grinned.

Is this Benjamin Diffring? ..

Huey was in no hurry to pull the trigger. The revolver had low accuracy and lost to a knife in close combat. If he missed, the killer would have had time to stab him. Therefore, the young man patiently waited for the enemy to open up. However, he also kept his guard.

The air itself seemed to freeze. However, the silence lasted only a moment.

– Hi! ..

Diffring jumped with superhuman strength. One push was enough for him to be in the blind spot above Huey’s head and swinging the knife.

– Shopping center.

Disward stopped the blade with the barrel of his revolver. The smile that stuck to Benjamin’s face was slightly distorted by surprise. He probably did not expect to meet a man who would repel his killing blow.

A metal creak cut across the ears, and then Huey threw the enemy back with a sharp jolt. Jessica watched their duel in amazement.

The killer managed to land on his feet, but lost his balance. The young man was about to shoot, but then Diffring jumped into the darkness.

– Stop! – shouted Huey, rushing in pursuit. However, he took only a few steps and stopped. I decided not to risk it.

Shorty took a book from under his arm and opened it. The decrepit pages flashed white in the moonlight. Disward darkened.

– The Ghost Book ?!

Benjamin disappeared into a side corridor. Hughie slumped against the wall, waited a little, and then peered cautiously around the corner, weapon ready. But the culprit disappeared.

“Probably hiding somewhere,” Jessica suggested, following on his heels.

“Not a drop of caution,” the young man sighed with a mixture of condemnation and surprise.

“No … He is no longer here,” he shook his head.

Jessica looked in bewilderment into the semi-darkness of the corridor: it ended in a dead end, a man would not have crawled through the narrow windows in the thick stone walls, and there was nowhere to hide on the bookshelves.

However, Diffring disappeared without a trace, as if evaporated.

Huey put away the revolver and sighed.

– A dangerous scoundrel, as I thought.He ran away as soon as he realized that he was a loser. These are the ones to be afraid of. They are like snakes: they always hide in a safe place and wait for the victim to make a mistake. The problem type is targeting you.

– Eh? ..

The girl was surprised by the last sentence. According to the young man, it turned out that Diffring was hunting her.

“And the ability of his ghostly book remains a mystery,” Dalian cut in, pushing a stunned Jessica aside.

Huey nodded and looked at the bloody student.

– Dalian … How is she?

The girl in black shook her head and said shortly:

– Breathing a little. But the wound is mortal, it will not last long.

– What? .. Why are you so cruel ?! Show at least a drop of emotion! Jessica looked at her angrily. However, Dalian remained calm.

– I’m just telling the truth. We won’t have time to take her to the hospital.

– I see. That’s good, ”Huey breathed in relief.

– Huh ?!

Jessica is speechless.She was just about to unleash an angry tirade on him, when she suddenly noticed a strange thing in the young man’s right hand. Antique golden key with inscriptions on the stem.

“I’m talking about the fact that we will not have time to carry her to the hospital, so we will treat her right here,” Dalian explained dispassionately and parted her clothes on her chest, revealing dazzling white skin.

The student held her breath.

In the center of the childishly flat chest was an old rough lock, in the center of which was a hole.It seemed to lead to the very depths of a fragile body.

Huey slowly read the words engraved on the key.

Like a magician or knight who reads an ancient forbidden spell, swearing an oath of loyalty to a noble lady.

– I ask … Are you a man?

Dalian answered him. A hoarse voice like the grinding of an old instrument.

– No, I am the world … The world is in a vessel.

She exhaled sharply as the golden key entered her chest.

The lock split into halves and swung open like a door with a blinding flash.

Behind him was a void, a pale, shimmering whirlwind.

Huey, supporting the girl behind her back, reached into the hole and pulled out the book.

– The book … from the chest … – Jessica choked out hoarsely.

It was a bundle of parchment dotted with primitive symbols, a legacy of an incredibly ancient era.

The young man bent over the dying Matilda and read the text aloud.

– “The Book of the Silver Spring”, left by the ancient healer Dian Keht *. It is believed that it contains a spell that creates a healing stream that can heal any wounds, ”Dalian said dispassionately.

Before she had time to finish, changes began to take place with the girl. A clear liquid gushed from the dissected abdominal cavity.

Jessica watched with all her eyes. Thanks to the ghostly book, the flowing blood turned into holy water, endowed with the power of healing and regeneration. She restored damaged organs and healed a terrible wound.

Soon the incision completely disappeared, and the girl’s agonizing moans turned into a peaceful sleepy snoring.

– Matilda … thank God.

Jessica sank down at her friend’s feet, made sure she was alive, and exhaled deeply.

Huey returned the book that had fulfilled its duty back to Dalian. The girl straightened her clothes on her chest, and soon the lock on the metal chains gleamed as if nothing had happened.

– Dantalian Library … – said the student, looking up at her.

Dalian raised her eyebrows slightly.

– I… heard about you, Dalian. And about the ghostly library named after Dantalian, the demon who commands knowledge …

– …

The girl silently stared into Jessica’s brown eyes.She did not look away.

– The black librarian and her keeper of the key, as well as nine hundred thousand six hundred and sixty-six ghostly books, sealed in a parallel world called “the world in the vessel” … You are the world in the vessel, Dalian.

– And if so, then what? She asked emotionlessly.

Jessica was silent for a moment, then smiled and shook her head.

– Nothing … Thank you for saving Mati.

Dalian lifted the tips of her lips and looked away in embarrassment.

Huey watched them with a slight smile.

5

Huey left sleeping Matilda in front of the dormitory entrance and returned to the library.

Dalian and Jessica sat side by side at the front door.

The latter, of course, looked tired, but smiled confidently at the young man, as if to say: I will not leave until you tell me everything.

Dalian, whom she followed her tail, was darker than a cloud.

– Have you returned to the hostel yet? – Disward was surprised.- Why did you walk alone at such a time? Do you understand that this is dangerous?

“This is… well, yes,” Jessica mumbled and handed him a basket containing sandwiches, a thermos and a cinnamon pie.

– Food? Us, or what? – Huey did not understand.

– Dinner leftovers. They are from the hostel, so I can’t vouch for the taste, ”the girl muttered a little guiltily.

Dalian looked from the basket to Jessica in bewilderment and asked:

– Why?

– Because you came to protect our school from the killer, – avoiding eye contact and she answered a little angrily.

Bibliodeva was indifferent.

– We’re just looking for a book.

“However, you saved Mati,” Jessica retorted and handed her the basket.

Dalian ignored her diligently, but soon succumbed to hunger and smells, reluctantly tasted the pie. The girl watched her contently, as if she was feeding a pet.

– Tasty?

“It’s the tastiest of all that I have tasted here,” the libradeva replied rudely.

Jessica frowned in displeasure.

– Should I take this as a praise?

Dalian did not answer and took the last piece from the basket.

– Considering the pie, I will ask you something.

– What?

– Why is that fool hunting you so hard?

– What do you mean? Jessica asked. – What do you mean “hunting”, he’s a thug, so he attacked me, isn’t it? He doesn’t care who he kills, does he?

“No,” Disward replied. “Diffring came for you for some reason.This is a special case.

– Eh? ..

– Diffring is a maniac, but he doesn’t kill everyone. He does not even seek to kill. It’s just that his actions lead to such a result.

– Doesn’t want to … kill? Jessica repeated in amazement.

Huey pulled the Diffring reports from his coat pocket.

– He is looking for a mother. As far as I know, this is called the desire to return to the mother’s womb … Diffring wants to return to his mother again and be reborn.

– Again … be reborn? Yes, this is …

– You probably think that this is nonsense, but this is what pushes him to commit crimes.He is busy looking for a mother who will accept him.

– So he attacked the teacher Nikola and Mati … to get into them? Jessica said, stunned, and shook her head in disbelief.

– Yes … Diffring was not without reason tried to kill you, because, in theory, he shouldn’t have.

– Why? – the girl bowed her head.

– He is looking for a mother who will accept him, therefore he chooses large women, higher than himself. These were all eleven victims. However, you are different from them.

– Indeed, Jessica agreed. She seemed to begin to understand. “I’m not particularly tall, and I’m thin, for that matter.

Dalian nodded gravely.

– Yes. An ordinary person, only thicker legs.

The student looked at her in amazement.

– Oh-They’re not fat! The usual, the most common! Hughie, please say something!

– Hmm. Well, it seems a lot of young people like that. Healthy legs.

– Why don’t you deny that they are fat ?! – shrilly exclaimed Jessica, pressing on the young man.

Dalian watched her with boredom.

– How hard it is for you to please, radish legs.

– Don’t call me radish!

Suddenly Dalian remembered something and frowned slightly.

– By the way, you said something strange when we met. It seems that you wandered around the library against your will.

– Well, yes. You were looking for records about Diffring then, – Huey was also surprised and looked at the girl. – Why, Jessica? Why did you risk yourself so much?

– Well … – the student was silent for a while, like a child looking for an excuse.- I was thinking how to save Mati.

– One? Why? – the young man continued to ask.

– I saw how the killer attacked Mati two days ago, – Jessica answered even more quietly. – Mati played the trumpet and could not practice in the dorm, so she often went out to the backyard at night. And I was studying in the library and, well … I fell asleep …

– And by chance I witnessed Diffring’s assassination attempt?

– Yes, – Jessica smiled weakly. “At first I thought my eyes were deceiving me.It was dark and quite far away. Besides, Matilda immediately disappeared …

– Disappeared? Hughie raised an eyebrow.

Jessica nodded.

– The maniac grabbed Mati, pressed it into the book, and she became thin-thin … And then he inserted Mati between the pages … – she lowered her head and painfully grabbed her hair. – I saw everything, but I could not save her. It was scary, so scary, everything seemed fake. I convinced myself that I had seen a hallucination … But the next morning the teachers said that Mati was missing … So I had to find her …

The girl cringed, her small shoulders trembling.It looks like she was holding back tears. Poor thing, she kept everything to herself and could not share with anyone.

Dalian stroked her head, Jessica looked at her in surprise.

“You are a fine fellow,” the librarian said barely audibly.

– Eh?

– Matilda is all right. Thanks to your search, Diffring was forced to free her, which means you saved her, ”Huey smiled encouragingly.

Jessica looked at them confusedly.

– But … is the killer still hiding somewhere in the school?

– Yes.However, there is one way to lure him out, ”Dalian replied dispassionately, her chiseled face contorted with an insidious grin. – And you have to do something.

The disciple shuddered as if from a gust of icy wind and blinked with large eyes.

– Eh? To me?

6

In the far corner of the school grounds there was a fragrant flower bed with a fountain in the center. It was surrounded by a wooden bench, on which one could calmly read or just relax.

Jessica sat on a bench in the shade of a large plane tree that grew nearby.A young man in a leather coat was sitting next to her, but his eternal companion was not visible.

– Uh, Huey? – said the girl nervously.

– What? Disward looked up from the book.

– You called me to catch the killer?

– Well, sort of.

– Then why do we drink tea? And … alone? Jessica asked in a tone that didn’t make it clear if she was angry or embarrassed.

The young man smiled calmly.

– Bored? Maybe you read a book?

– Not that I got bored … But drinking tea here, in such an open place… – Hastily she shook her head.

She and Huey were supposed to be hiding, but the dorm – a converted old house – had a great view of the bench. Familiar faces flickered through the windows. Most likely, the rumor about a secret meeting between Jessica and an unfamiliar young man has already scattered among the students.

However, Disward behaved as if nothing had happened.

– This place meets all the conditions.

– Conditions?

– Yeah. Even Diffring won’t be able to sneak up on us here, and it’s far enough from the library.

– It’s good that it’s far away … – Jessica muttered with an expression that was difficult to describe. “But Dalian stayed in the library, right? You are not going to have an affair with me, by any chance?

– What kind of nonsense are you talking about, chestnut beast?

Libradeva as from the ground rose behind her and pulled her hair. The girl grimaced.

– What kind of chestnut beast ?! Is it me ?!

– Hush, head and tail.

– Fgh … – Jessica gritted her teeth angrily.

Huey shook his head with a sigh.

– Dalian, are you finished?

She nodded silently. Jessica looked at them in bewilderment. She was not privy to details.

– Finished what?

– Kashtanchik, have you wondered why Diffring, after escaping from prison, hid in a pitiful boarding house? – Dalian answered the question with a question.

– Eh? – Jessica was surprised.

– This school is remote from civilization, practically isolated from the outside world. An unfamiliar man would be immediately noticed.Not the best place for a fugitive to lie down.

– Right, – the girl nodded. – Of course, I thought about it.

Bibliodeva, after a short break, continued:

– Diffring is looking for a replacement for his mother. It is unlikely that a girls’ school would have attracted him.

– Uh-huh …

– However, he still chose her as a refuge. And all because he is safe here. Thanks to the library.

– Eh? – Jessica did not understand anything.

And in the next instant footsteps were heard.

A young teacher with elegant silver-rimmed glasses on her nose walked resolutely along the well-groomed gravel path. She carried a book in her hand.

“Yeah… there you are, Jessica Elphinston,” she said, noticing the student on the bench.

– Teacher? Something happened? There are no classes today …

– Miss Redin asked to find you, – the teacher shrugged her shoulders with a smile.

– Headmistress?

– Yes. She left a note on my desk asking me to give you this book.

– A book?

Jessica looked at the unfamiliar volume with a puzzled look. She had no idea why the headmistress decided to send her this book.

The girl just managed to get up from the bench …

– No! Hey you, with silver glasses, get rid of her now! Dalian exclaimed sharply as Hughie grabbed a revolver from his pocket.

– Throw her immediately! Come on!

The frightened teacher froze, not releasing the book.

– Uh … W-what are you ?!

Suddenly blood gushed from her hand.

A flash of silver flickered between the pages. Military knife blade.

Stunned, the woman looked at the wound.

– Teacher!

Jessica wanted to rush to her, but Huey managed to catch her.

– Don’t move, Jessica! This is Diffring!

– Eh ?!

The girl’s eyes widened. From the book that fell to the ground, a silhouette appeared that looked like an ethereal shadow. However, he quickly gained volume and turned into a full-fledged person.

A short man with a knife.

– Man … from the gaps between the pages ?! – Elphinston was amazed.

Dalian behind her quietly explained:

– Such is the power of Diffring’s ghostly book. The “book of cracks” flattens everyone who touches it. Like a dried flower between the pages.

– A dried flower ?!

– Yes … Books do not exist only to store texts. They can also store anything. Diffring took the volume from himself and his victims and hid between the pages.

Benjamin twisted the wounded woman’s arm and held it out in front of him like a shield.Huey was aiming at him with a revolver, but he was in no hurry to shoot.

– Thanks to this ability, he escaped from prison. With her help, he was hiding at school, – said the young man, not taking his eyes off the killer. – Probably was going to sit out until the police give up on the search. In addition, here he found women satisfying his tastes and a library …

– I see … and in the library … books …

Jessica glanced at the tall building.

As far as she knew, the founders’ relatives donated the huge book depository to the school.There was no other such thing in the district. It served as an excellent haven for Diffring, who had the power to hide between pages. That’s just …

– He miscalculated. You saw how he attacked Matilda and how he hid her in the book, ”Dalian explained.

Jessica finally understood why she became the target of a criminal: she was the only one who knew about the power of his ghostly book. If the girl told everything to someone who had an idea about them, he would most likely unravel Benjamin’s secret.And the serial killer was not going to risk that.

– That’s why he tried to kill you, Jessica … until you discovered his secret. He left Matilda for dead, intending to get rid of any evidence. Am I right, Diffring? Huey asked suddenly.

The man just squinted. He seemed to be smiling.

– Hee … Hee!

Benjamin threw the hostage away, lifted a book off the ground and pulled out a long and narrow object. Double-barreled shotgun.

– Double-barreled gun ?!

Jessica turned pale.It turns out that Diffring also deprived it of its volume and hid it in a volume.

– Hee! ..

Maniac aimed his gun at them. He did not particularly mark: from such a distance, everyone fell into the radius of destruction.

The girl could not resist and screamed, but Benjamin pulled the trigger without any pity.

A shot fired, a cloud of dust rose up. However…

“Useless, you fool,” Dalian said contemptuously, not even thinking of dodging dozens of buckshot.

– Hee ?!

Diffring got angry for the first time.He aimed straight at the black-haired and fired again. Again, to no avail. The girl remained calmly in place.

The invisible wall in front of her seemed to have deflected the deadly hail.

– I don’t know how this book got into your hands, Diffring. But did you really think you were the only one reading ghostly books? Huey asked, and waved the tome he had pulled from Dalian.

Of course, Benjamin did not know that it was the Styx Book of Shield, which surrounded the owner with an invisible barrier protecting from a thousand arrows.

– Hee!

The man realized that he was in a disadvantageous position, threw away his unloaded gun and ran away with all his might.

Jessica stared dazedly at his back.

– Follow him, Hughie! – she cried out, but the young man carelessly closed the ghostly book. – Come on, you can’t miss it! Otherwise he will hide again! ..

– Don’t worry. Now we know where he will be, ”Disward smiled and set off leisurely.

– Eh? – the perplexed girl followed him.

Dalian continued the explanation in a bored tone:

– If you want to hide a tree, hide it in the forest. Since we learned about his ability to crawl between the pages, Diffring will try to escape to a place where we will not know which of the books he hid in.

– So … Couldn’t it be a library ?! Jessica realized where they were going and groaned. – But how?! If he really gets lost among the books …

– We will never find him. Write lost. Yes, and locking the library is useless, anyway, he will seize the moment and attack from the sly, ”Dalian agreed easily.

Huey supported her:

– Besides, he must have packed a bunch of weapons in the books. Even a hundred policemen cannot cope with his capture.

– Uh … Then the point is to chase him …

Jessica’s legs were numb with fear, but the strange couple walked and walked as if nothing had happened. Huey unhurriedly unlocked the door of the archive, which was dim even during the day.

“But for that there must be books in the library,” Dalian said quietly.

– Eh ?…. – the student looked stunned at the picture that opened to her. “What? .. Books… from the library…

Tall wardrobes lined the walls, but they were all empty.

A collection of thousands of books disappeared without a trace.

Only a layer of dust remains on the shelves.

In the middle of the huge hall, a short man in a prison robe stood stunned.

– Hi …

The Phantom Book fell from Diffring’s hands. Without saving gaps, she lost all value.

– All books were transferred to another library , – Dalian’s calm voice echoed off the stone walls.

– But … in the morning everything was in order … and where is this other library? .. – Jessica choked out, examining the empty room, and then her gaze fell on the girl, or rather, on the dimly gleaming old castle.

A ghostly library that is sealed in a parallel world called the world in a vessel. Dantalian Library.

– I see … So Hughie took me away to lure the killer out of the library …

And Dalian caught the moment and moved all the books to the Dantalian library to deprive Benjamin of cover – the gaps between the pages.

“Diffring, they read books in libraries … it’s forbidden to play hide and seek here,” said the black-haired girl.

He turned around in fright.

At that moment, policemen with weapons at the ready jumped out from behind the cabinets and twisted the maniac. Apparently Huey and Dalian had informed them in advance.

The adventures of the terrifying fugitive with the ghost book are over.

The young man picked up the fallen book and handed it to his companion.

Discouragedly observing what was happening, Jessica asked, referring to his back:

– Is it over?

Disward exchanged meaningful glances with Dalian.

– Well, it seems, – he replied with a faint grin.

The student tilted her head to one side, puzzled.

– Like?

7

The sun was shining brightly through the window, from which a wonderful view of the sea was opened.

Huey and Dalian settled down at ease on the plush leather guest sofa in the headmistress’s room.

A fair-haired beauty of indeterminate age was sitting at the far wall, legs gracefully crossed. The intelligent look only emphasized her charm.

“Please accept my sincere thanks, Huey,” she smiled at the young man. – Thanks to you, we managed to do without casualties among the students. Unfortunately, we have lost an outstanding teacher, but I will render all possible assistance to her family and students.

Disward cut her off with a casual shake of his head.

– We just came for a book and nothing else.

The Headmistress shrugged lightly.

– Whatever you say. Okay, let’s leave the topic. Better tell me what you think of her? She asked.

– About whom? – Huey did not understand.

– About Jessica. You don’t seem to get along very well, but she’s cute, isn’t she? – the woman smiled radiantly.

Dalian twitched an eyebrow in annoyance. The young man monotonously, as if reading from what was written, replied:

– I think she is a good girl. Brave and smart. She helped us a lot.

– Uh-huh. So you liked her, right? I am sure that in the future she will become just a beauty. That’s nice, ”the headmistress said cheerfully.

Huey tensed slightly.

– What do you mean? What’s nice?

“She is the youngest daughter of Earl Elphinston, not the last person in the south of the country,” the blonde explained with a broad smile. – Hugh Anthony Disward, did you think she would be a great addition to your family tree? Of course, in the current era, brides are not chosen for titles or social status, but it is better to take this point into account so that not to irritate relatives, do you agree?

– Choosing a bride … Is it really just for this that you brought us together ?…. Huey asked quietly, trying to contain his irritation.

– Who knows … – the headmistress fenced herself off with an empty phrase, and then with a teasing smile looked at Dalian, squinting. “Okay, I’ll back off tonight, so take it easy. Here one girl in me will now make holes in her eyes … I will not give her a reason for hatred.

– Then, aunt, let us take our leave, – the young man answered wearily and quickly got up. Dalian jumped off the couch with a clink of armor.

They were already leaving the office like …

– Oh, Huey, I forgot to say something.

– What is it? Disward turned reluctantly.

The woman squinted cheerfully.

“I’ll back down, but I don’t know what she thinks,” she warned with the air of a prophetess.

Huey winced and left the office with Dalian.

“An unbearable old woman,” the girl said dispassionately, stomping loudly on the wooden floor of the corridor.

– I absolutely agree with you, – the young man responded with dislike. “That is why I have long disliked her.

On the stone floor of the library corridors and the archives were heaps of books that had returned from the world in a vessel.

Bibliodeva dumped them in random order, mixing both authors and genres. If now there was any, even a weak earthquake, heaps of volumes would easily bury the unlucky reader under them.

Near one of the mountains stood a girl with brown hair and a uniform knitted waistcoat.

She diligently arranged books on the shelves and at the same time almost cried.

– Well … Why do I have to rake them alone? .. – Jessica Elphinston muttered angrily, wiping her sweaty forehead.

She was punished for unauthorized leaving the hostel at night and could not resist the direct order of the headmistress.

Of course, she was angry at the strange couple who disappeared without even thinking to clean up the library.

– Well, yes, they saved my life, but they could have helped with their ghostly books … And yet …

“I never thanked them,” she wanted to say, but immediately shook her head, shaking her “ponytail And clenched her fist resolutely.

– And remember … I will definitely tell you everything during the summer holidays …

Outside the window, the June sun was blindingly shining.

A strong dry wind blew, carrying the smell of green meadows and silent books, erasing what was left of the recent tragedy.

1. ↑ Hereinafter, we mean specifically the Japanese radish – daikon.
2. ↑ More details.
3. ↑ Deviant behavior – stable personality behavior deviating from the generally accepted, most widespread and well-established social norms.
4. ↑ God of healing in Irish mythology.

Read the online e-book Death and the Gilded Man Death and the Gilded Man – Chapter 12 for free and without registration!

Opposite, in the billiard room, Captain Dawson and Vince James were playing table tennis, while Eleanor Stanhope sat on the side watching them.

A green wooden tabletop with a grid was placed on top of a pool table, above which an electric lamp hung under a conical shade.The hall was spacious, multi-windowed, and the openings were located close to each other. Behind the stained glass windows with coats of arms, one could see snow falling in the deepening twilight. Elinor was sitting on a leather sofa that stood in a kind of niche between the windows. A stand of cues was visible in the bright flame of the fireplace.

“Nineteen-twenty,” Vincent James counted.

Saying “Twenty”, he made a dexterous movement with his brush, and the ball flew to the side of the opponent; it was impossible to repulse the twisted blow.

– Party! James announced. – Want to play another one?

“No thanks,” the captain replied slowly. – It seemed to me that the previous game ended before it even started.

– Stop it, Ginger! Elinor interjected. – No need to lose your temper. Take it easy!

Captain Dawson’s face, as well as his hair, justified the nickname given to him. He was an interesting sight in a room lined with pink rosewood panels.

“Trivial games,” he said slowly.“If I had been given something important, I would not have worried. But a golf ball, or a ping-pong ball, or even a puzzle where you roll one ball into place and all the others fall out, excites in me the most base instincts, like Attila’s Hun.

– What’s the matter, buddy?

– Nothing. Everything is fine.

“Table tennis is not a trifling game,” Vince objected. – Excellent workout for tennis. Fred Perry …

“Ginger has been standing too close to the table the whole time,” Eleanor pointed out.- Vince, why didn’t you tell him?

– Old lady, it’s not my business to tell him. My job is to win. If he is stupid enough to … – a smile replaced the offensive words, – let him take care of himself.

Captain Dawson looked at his partner with genuine interest.

– Tell me, is there a game in which you are not strong?

Vince laughed. He was pleased.

– I don’t know, buddy. I try to keep fit in all possible sports games.

– Lacrosse? Pelot? Baseball? Spit-in-the-Ocean?

– Old man, I’ve never heard of a game called Spit-in-the-Ocean.

“No, nothing like that,” the captain replied grimly. – Such a card game.

Vince picked up a ping-pong ball and started tossing it.

– I don’t pretend to be know-it-all, Dawson. For example, I do not understand boats at all …

– By ships, – the captain corrected him. – Ships, great Christopher!

– Well, ships.Although I don’t understand why you sailors are so nervous about calling a ship a boat. After all, boats also float on the sea.

– They walk.

– Swimming, walking – what’s the difference? In general, I do not understand ships. And in painting, by the way, too.

There was a silence, broken only by the clatter of a celluloid ball on the surface of the table. Captain Dawson put down his racket slowly.

– I wonder what you mean?

Vince gave him a puzzled look:

– Well, of course! You are well versed in art – so says Elinor.I meant that to each his own, that’s all.

Elinor sat with one leg under her and smiled. Against the backdrop of the tan, her teeth seemed especially white. Sensing that the atmosphere was heating up more and more, she jumped off the leather seat, walked out of the alcove and ran to Captain Dawson.

– Ginger, how nice it is to see your ugly face again! She wrapped her arms around his neck. – But you must not lose your temper over some trifles. Look, you’re hot! Here.

She pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and began rubbing his face.With this procedure, even done with the best intentions, any man will feel out of place. The captain was already stiff with shyness every time Elinor approached him; now he recoiled as sharply as if he had been burned. Mr. James’s liveliness did not improve his condition in any way. Suddenly Captain Dawson pushed Elinor aside – very carefully, though, as if she were a fragile crystal vessel.

– Do you have a specialty? – he asked.

– If you’re wondering, I was considering studying medicine – like William Gilbert Grace, the greatest cricketer in England’s history.But I never managed to get through the first year and remember anything, except for various funny scraps.

“Ridiculous snatches,” Elinor nodded, “that’s it.

– If a stupid sailor accidentally takes an interest in anything other than the art of sailing or artillery, his aspirations are ridiculous and ridiculous. Captain Dawson shrugged in disbelief. “But if a civilian is interested in pictures or…” He suddenly fell silent. – God! He exclaimed after a pause, as if it had dawned on him.- I forgot! Present!

– Gift? Elinor was surprised.

– I have a gift for you. More precisely, I should have presented it for Christmas, but I could not have time to ship it on time, so I decided that I would bring it myself … But … now you hardly want to look at it …

– Ginger! How nice of you! With pleasure! Where is he?

Captain wrinkled his forehead:

– On the street, in my bag – on the back of the sleigh.

– Where’s the sleigh?

– Probably by the greenhouse.Wait, I’ll bring it right now.

– No, dear, – Elinor put one hand down, – in the wrong place. It is a pity that for so long you did not have time to properly study the layout of the rooms in our house. Next to us, through the wall, is the library. Before her is the eastern seraglio of the lovely old woman Flavia, copied from the Pavilion in Brighton. From there you can go through the greenhouse to the street.

– Exactly. Thanks! Be right back.

When he left, Vincent James stopped holding back and burst out laughing loudly.He laughed for a long time. Blood rushed to Elinor’s dark cheeks. She looked dangerous now.

– God, God! – she said. – What amused you so much?

– Nothing. Sorry. He’s not a bad guy, after all. Would you like to play billiards?

– Thank you, no.

– Stop it, old lady. Do not pout! Let’s play a game. Vince unscrewed the table tennis net and folded it up. Then he moved the tennis table and then suddenly lifted it into the air.

Elinor looked at him intently.

“Of course,” she said, “the thought of brooding of any kind may seem strange to you. I suppose you men think that thoughtfulness doesn’t fit in with masculinity. Definitely it is. It’s all about … Did something worry you?

“Just memories, old lady,” Vince replied, leaning the counter against the wall. – Only memories.

He turned around, approached her with a light, confident gait and held out his hand. Elinor recoiled, but he caught her. He hugged her, threw her head back and kissed her for twenty seconds.

Elinor freed herself. They stood in the shadows, far from the light of the lamp, and the flames of the fire danced in Elinor’s eyes.

“So,” she said, “Red Dawson is back.

– What’s next, tigress?

“And you cannot stand it when someone else possesses something,” Elinor continued, “even when you yourself are not eager to get the object of possession.

– Stop it, baby. Stop talking nonsense. I kissed you goodbye – and gave my blessing.Here, once again … – After a pause, he added: – Your How-it-there Dawson can do this?

– Damn you! Let me go!

– The most recent. Just for luck.

This time Elinor threw her arms around his neck. She had to stand on tiptoe. The fire in the fireplace crackled, shot out sparks; outside the windows decorated with coats of arms, snow was falling slowly. Elinor sobbed; shadows danced on the rosewood panels … When Betty Stanhope opened the billiard room door, they remained in the same position.

Betty turned quickly towards the exit. But Vince, whose eyes were open, noticed her. He straightened up and dropped his arms. For the first time in months, he looked like he’d done something wrong, and he knew it. Approaching the table, he began to pick a cue meticulously.

“Sorry,” said Betty, who had changed her ski suit for a dark dress. – I didn’t know …

– Why apologize? Elinor shrugged. – No harm to anyone, right? Vince, do you have any cigarettes?

– Old lady, you know that I don’t smoke.

– Yes, of course. Harmful to the lungs. Shrinks something there. Beth, do you have any cigarettes?

Despite her apathy, Elinor was out of breath and nervous. She was still wearing loose trousers and a yellow sweater that accentuated the shape of her chest. At her sign, Betty took a cigarette case from the side table and handed it to her half-sister.

Vince looked at Betty.

“I hope,” he said, “you didn’t see anything personal here. He was surprised when both girls laughed.

“Of course not,” Elinor assured him.- In the end, Beth is not so silly. Last night, she herself hugged a young explorer in one of the most romantic places in the house, so who can understand us if not her.

– What kind of young researcher?

– Your friend, Mr. Wood.

– Stop it! Vince put down the billiard cue.

– I’m telling you it’s true!

Betty didn’t explain anything. Taking a lighter from the table, she brought it to Elinor’s cigarette. The stepsisters really loved each other.Each of them, according to the other, possessed qualities that she lacked. But affairs in the House of Masks became so confused that it suddenly became very difficult to behave at ease. A second later, things got even more complicated as the door to the library opened and Captain Dawson entered the billiard room.

“Here,” he said.

He was not at all surprised that Elinor suddenly came up to him and grabbed his hand with a fervor such as she had never shown before.

– Ginger Dawson, sometimes I want to kill you!

“Then strike with a knife,” the captain advised cheerfully.- For what?

– Just because you are!

– I understand you. No, rather, I do not understand anything at all, but since it will give you pleasure, go for it. Aren’t you going to open the gift?

The gift turned out to be a white gold ring with emeralds laid out in the form of a tightly knotted knot. Elinor took the ring out of a satin-lined box wrapped in a Christmas napkin.

– Ginger! How lovely!

– Like it? Do you really like it? The knot is made correctly, – the captain specified.- First, they laid out pebbles like a grandmother’s bundle. I made it redo.

– But, honey … the ring! Almost like an engagement!

– Really?

– Of course!

– Then consider that it is, – said the captain loudly.

Silence fell. Moving silently and deftly, Vince James laid out billiard balls on the green cloth. His attention was completely absorbed by them.

– Ginger, are you making me an offer? In front of everyone?

“They give me courage,” the captain replied.- “The one who is too afraid of fate or is ashamed of merit …” – I don’t remember how it goes next. Yes!

He almost bellowed the last word.

– Are there any other candidates? Elinor asked.

– Eleanor! – interrupted sister Betty and stepped forward.

Vince, still absorbed in his business, bent over the pool table, put his left elbow aside, tried it on a couple of times and hit the ball with a cue. A soft click – and the ball flew into the pocket. Behind him is another.For a while, in the silence, only clicking was heard. Elinor’s face had a strange expression; an observant observer might have thought she was about to cry.

– Not that my proposal was unexpected … – continued the captain.

“Roy Dawson,” Eleanor exclaimed, “I don’t want to be caught off guard,” besides, you know! Her eyes flashed. – At a time like this …

“I forgot,” Captain Dawson said quietly, and after a long pause continued, “Your father.Murder.

The last word hit everyone with a leaden weight. Vince walked around the table, looking at the cloth.

– Sorry. He politely pushed the captain out of the way.

Bent over the table, took aim …

– It’s not that bad! – Betty exclaimed, trying in vain to be tactful. – Mom even thinks that tomorrow’s performance with a magician and a “magic lantern” will take place. She says she gets calls from the parish priest and Mrs. Clutterbuck all day; they will not forgive us if we disappoint them.

Click-Click-Click …

– It came out stupidly. The captain touched Elinor on the shoulder. “Forget what I said. That is … don’t forget, put it aside for the cold, wait until the old man recovers.

– Oh, you idiot!

– And the ring … put it on another finger or wear it under a shirt on a chain … or somewhere else. Think of it as an ordinary Christmas present, that’s all.

– Listen, honey …

– If, in your opinion, it is old-fashioned, I will order another one for you – with large diamonds; I want you to like my ring.Yes, ”he added in deep thought, waving his hand like an hour hand,“ with large diamonds.

Click, click, click.

“In the meantime,” the captain continued, “we need to find out what happened to your father.

Vince looked up. There was a semblance of a smile on his face.

– Are you a detective too?

– I have enough discernment to understand that everything is rigged here and everything is fake.

– What do you mean “false”?

– If Mr. Stanhope tried to steal his own Velazquez, then all right.If he tried to steal Murillo, or Goya, or one of those paintings that hang in the gallery upstairs, again all right. But he took El Greco … something is wrong here. In my opinion, he meant something completely different.

Silence reigned again.

Three puzzled young men stared at the captain’s long nose and long jaw. Elinor, with a ring in one hand and a cigarette in the other, wrinkled her brow in bewilderment.

– Continue, – asked Betty.

– So listen! Is it a coincidence that the painting The Lake depicts the same adventure in which Mr. Stanhope was asked to take part?

Vince put the billiard cue on the cloth.

– Maybe, old man, everything is clear to you personally, but damn me if I understand anything at all.

– I’ll try to explain. The captain scratched his forehead. – The riddle itself is not too complicated, and it can be explained in one word. Have you ever heard of Eldorado?

“Of course,” Elinor nodded.

– What is Eldorado?

Elinor frowned:

– The legendary Golden City, which the Spaniards tried to find in ancient times, but never found.

– What does the word “Eldorado” mean?

– The Golden City, of course.

– Nothing of the sort! – said the captain. “It means Golden Man. By the way, the Golden Man is not fiction at all. He really existed. Read the History of the Conquest of Mexico and the History of the Conquest of Peru by Prescott.

“The Golden Man,” Betty repeated quietly. The girl suddenly opened her blue eyes wide and raised her hand to her forehead. – “One, but carefully conducted exploration of the bottom of the lake,” she said, as if repeating the words she had heard before, “and all our difficulties are behind!”

– So you know about everything? Captain Dawson was surprised.

– No, no! Keep going!

– The lake in question is called Guatavita, or Golden Lake. I saw him. The lake is located in the Andes, relatively close to Bogota. The Chibcha Indians threw their gold into the lake twice a year. I mean, they literally threw. They sacrificed to the Sun, who took the form of a deity, who was called the “Golden Man”; it was believed that he lived in the lake. When Pizarro invaded Peru in the 16th century, as is always the case on such occasions, there was an uproar.

Captain Dawson was silent. Although he tried not to show it, the story of gold resting at the bottom of the lake fascinated him too.

“It’s okay,” Vince objected, “but what does old Domenico have to do with it?”

– Take a look at the painting in the dining room!

– So what?

– She is, as they say, satirical. Treasure seekers crowded on the shore of the lake. Look at their faces. They want to get to the bottom of the lake by all means, get there no matter what.The churchman prays, and the Indian deity laughs, because people cannot reach the goal in any way. They tried to drain the lake back in the days of El Greco. Later, at the beginning of the 19th century, they took up it again – to no avail. The last time work, using modern technology, was carried out in 1900. Of course, a lot of precious things were fished out from the bottom. But the main treasure is still in place.

– Are you kidding? Betty exclaimed.

Captain Dawson flares up.

– If you don’t believe me, just ask Mr. Naseby.He looked through all the calculations himself.

– Buller Naseby?

– Yes. He also wanted to awaken your father’s interest in finding treasures. But Mr. Stanhope only laughs at him.

“Do you really mean to say,” Betty wrinkled her brow, “that such a clever and sweet old cracker is at heart possessed by… such a romantic passion?

“Ah, I don’t know,” Elinor sighed. – I do not know! Anyway, Red Dawson, you were definitely eloquent.

Her words alone were enough to tie the captain’s tongue.He felt ashamed that he had spoken so much in front of Elinor, ashamed of his ring, the box with which she casually pushed to the edge of the table. The captain was tormented by doubts. However, he still could not resist adding:

– Do you understand what I mean?

– What are you talking about, honey?

– Yes, about your father! If a real robber tried to steal the canvas, everything would be understandable and mean absolutely nothing. But since your father was trying to steal the painting, I still believe he had his own reason.

“It would be,” Elinor objected, “if he knew exactly what was depicted in the picture. The composition by itself does not say anything yet.

“He didn’t know until I enlightened him,” the captain replied. “I told him everything a few months ago. And you? Devil take me, aren’t you at all curious to know a thing or two about the old masters?

“Darling, don’t look at Vince,” Eleanor said softly. – He doesn’t care about old masters, only young craftswomen.As for me, no. Since there is a monk there, it seemed to me like a picture of religious content. And so I was not interested in her.

– But … – Betty tried to intervene.

– Yes. Elinor smiled slyly and stretched, making her whole body seem to come to life. – Buller Naseby!

“Your treasure at the bottom of the lake looks like complete nonsense to me,” Vince said after a little thought.

– Vince! How terribly romantic you are today! Let’s call dear Buller, ”suggested Elinor,“ and ask him himself! He has a habit of saying so little that it is even insulting.I wonder what he has to say now?

90,000 Lilith Saintcrow – Ambition read online

Lilith Saintcrow

Ambition

“I can change you.” He leaned forward and his lips slid over mine; the breath spreads the scent of mint and lust, and the hair was the color of chocolate and copper. Then he pressed his forehead against mine.

At times I wonder what would happen if I said no? But he clung to me, put his arm around my shoulders; our heads touched, and our thoughts flew far away.He was great and treated me like I belonged to him. The fact that it was unbearably cold, all of me was paralyzed by fear and gasoline was burning in my throat, it did not matter. One thing is important: he chose me.

Me!

And I said yes.

What girl wouldn’t say?

– God! – Gwyneth was lying on the bench; the lush waves of her golden hair brushed against the shadow-stained tree. Here, under the fig trees, was one of the most coveted places for a lunch break.- It will never end! I will remain trapped for the rest of my life.

– You don’t have to go to the fifth lesson. I hugged my bare knees tightly. Beneath them was the pleasant weight of a school bag – a way to get rid of the indecent desire to sneak into the ball in a skirt. The double scabs from roller skating were roughly covered with pieces of plaster. With a quick lateral movement of my knee, I pushed my glasses up. – I have done my homework. So we can show up there at a convenient time.

– But I have to change. Blue cornflower eyes blinked. She held out her hand and surveyed her French manicure. “And I can’t go with this.

– The schoolgirl is always with it.

Besides, I have nothing to change into. I tried my best not to grovel. But sometimes I had to persuade Gwynne to do even what she wanted herself.

– With perversions. She held out her hand again. – Let’s mow the fourth. You’ve got this homework done too, right?

She meant: Do I have anything that we could both pass? It was.However, there was one problem.

– Today’s poll.

I hunched over, shoulders turned into sharp protrusions. The shadow is good. The wind blowing in from the lacrosse field [1] brought the pungent smell of water from a sprinkler loaded with chemical fertilizers. Molly Fenwick, Tricia Brent and the whole honest company sat on the sunlit benches, their jackets off and their round collar blouses unbuttoned so that the naked part of the body looked defiant.Mitzi Hollenweider was talking about something, and the audience animatedly gesticulated and shouted phrases like “Oh my God!”

The embroidered emblem on my jacket scratched me when I rubbed my chin against the intact part of my right knee. Hairpins holding tightly curled hair in the back caused pain. One of the rules of St. Crispin: each button is buttoned, the stray hair is smoothed. Gwynne’s curls were treated like this: they obediently fit exactly the way she wanted.And my disheveled dark shags always found a way to break free, no matter what I used to tame them. And I would always go home with comments on this, if I didn’t know how to win over the teachers.

They liked me. Adults usually love me.

– Damn it! She stretched again. – So we go through the survey and dump, right?

– Dexterously.

It was so. Brother Bob – he wanted to be called that – pretended not to love boys.Big game: he made a corresponding statement to the headmistress and the bishop, who made all the important decisions. He was rumored to be stuck in a girls’ school because he liked the properties of other children. Just boys. Another Catholic flesh.

You might think we had a lot to talk about with Brother Bob. But he “worked” as a police informant, and his desire to internalize the maximum amount of slang did not matter.

– Good. What do we do? – She’s already beginning to worry.

– Let’s think of something. We always find a way out. – The wind stirred my hair, slid along my knees. “We’ll probably get lucky.

The bell rang: lunch came to an end and freedom ended. Everyone stirred. Mitzi, looking at us, finished her story. She always wanted to go to fourth lesson with Gwynne. And the moment of realization of this desire, perhaps, was approaching, since for a very long time – starting from the second grade – I was considered Gwynne’s best friend. It was getting tiresome, and Mitzi was looking forward to how she would lure her into her large company.If he can get rid of me.

Gwynne got to her feet with such a groan, as if she had lived not sixteen years, but all forty. Her knees were smooth, her hair had fallen into place after a few vigorous head movements, and now she was balancing on one leg and placing the other on a bench to brush imaginary dust off her shiny Mary Janes shoes. [2] They have always been polished.

I got up from the bench and felt something like a cramp in my stomach.Gwynne grabbed her lunch bag and folded it tight. And there was still half the sandwich left.

“We’ll come up with something,” I repeated.

– Gwyneth! Mitzi called out to her. – Hey, Gwyneth!

– God! Gwynne said in a half-whisper. – Her voice drills my brain. – Watch my place in fourth, okay?

You’d think someone else would want to sit next to me.

– Of course. Enjoy your entertainment.

– Yes, good. I’m going to find out what this chick needs.

Gwynne gave me a wide, sly smile and stepped out into the sunlit space. Her hair caught the light and shone; long, slender legs strode with a dancing gait. As she did so, she waved her bag back and forth. I sighed and nearly fell as I tried to get up off the bench. Thank goodness the skirt didn’t go up! When I started tidying up the textbooks in my bag, I felt a cramp again – this time in my side.

St. Crispin even regulates the types of school bags you can buy.True, those who like me receive a scholarship get big discounts on their purchases. Not enough, of course, but still.

The disgustingly high-pitched sounds of Mitzi’s voice continued to pound his ears. I glanced in her direction, pulling on my blazer. How to understand this: we are in sunny California, and they make us wear woolen clothes ?!

The sun was illuminating a noisy band of laughing girls, and a shrill and nasal laugh was heard from there. However, I was sure that Gwynne was not laughing with them, but at them.Hanging my bag over my shoulder, I went to the fourth lesson and looked back only once.

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