Великий военный синдикат

           Whatthismeantnobodyknew,butthenavalmilitaryobserversimmediatelysuspectedthattheSyndicate’svesselhadconcentratedattentionuponCaerdaffinordertogoovertoIrelandtodosomesortofmischiefthere.Itwaspresumedthatthecrabsaccompaniedher,butastheywerenowattheirfightingdepthitwasimpossibletoseethematsogreatadistance.ButitwassoonperceivedthatRepellerNo.11hadnointentionofrunningaway,norofgoingovertoIreland.Fromslowlycruisingaboutfourorfivemilesoffshore,shehadsteamedwestwarduntilshehadreachedapointwhich,accordingtothecalculationsofherscientificcorps,wasninemarinemilesfromCaerdaff.Thereshelaytoagainstastrongbreezefromtheeast.Itwasnotyetteno’clockwhentheofficerinchargeofthestarboardgunremarkedtothedirectorthathesupposethatitwouldnotbenecessarytogivethesmokesignals,ashadbeendoneinthechannel,asnowallthecrabswerelyingnearthem.Thedirectorreflectedamoment,andthenorderedthatthesignalsshouldbegivenateverydischargeofthegun,andthatthecolumnsofblacksmokeshouldbeshotuptotheirgreatestheight.Atpreciselyteno’clock,uprosefromRepellerNo.11twotalljetsofblacksmoke.UprosefromthepromontoryofCaerdaff,aheavygraycloud,likeanimmenseballoon,andthenthepeopleonthehill-topsandhighlandsfeltasharpshockofthegroundandrocksbeneaththem,andheardthesoundofaterriblebutmomentarygrindingcrush.