Frederica interrogatively looked at the husband.
Johnson, without undressing, fell by a chair and quietly spoke:
– Did not get…
The plate slipped out Frederica’s hands and with a ring fell in a wash-tub. She with fear looked back to the child, but he did not wake up.
– The strike committee has no more means… In a bench do not trust for…
Frederica ceased to wash the dishes, wiped a hand about an apron and silently sat down to a table, looking in a corner to hide the nervousness from the husband.
Johnson slowly took out from a lung pocket not on a coat season the crumpled issue of the newspaper and put on a table before the wife.
– On here, read.
And Frederica, brushing away a tear which dimmed it eyes, read the large announcement:
«Five pounds a week receive families of the workers who agreed to oversleep till spring…» There was an explanation Further what is anabiosis. Frederica already heard about it. Gilbert’s agents conducted promotion of anabiosis among workers for a long time.
– You will not make it! – firmly she told – We are not the cattle that we were frozen!
– City gentlemen do not disdain anabiosis!
– With fat your gentlemen rage! They to us not the decree!
– Listen, Frederica, but, eventually, in it there is nothing neither terrible, nor shameful. Dangers to me any. I not shtreykbrekherstvy, do not infringe on anybody’s interests.
– And mine, and your own interests? Same almost death, though for a while! We have to fight for the right for life, but not rest in bed the frozen hulks until then, dock misters owners will not deign to revive us!
She got excited and spoke too loudly.
Little Samuel woke up, began to cry and began to ask to eat. Frederica took it on hands, began to rock to sleep. Johnson with melancholy looked at a fair-haired head of the son. He so turned pale lately! Poblednela and Frederik…
The child fell asleep, and Frederica fell at a table, having hidden the face in hands. It could not constrain tears more.
Bendzhemin stroke-oared rough her fluffy hair, same light as at the son, and it is tender as child, persuaded:
– I grieve about you! Understand! Tomorrow Samuel will have big circles of the smoking milk and white loaf, and you on a table will have a good piece of beef, potatoes, oil, coffee… It is difficult to be separated, but it only till spring! Apple-trees in our garden will blossom, and I will be with you again. I will meet you, cheerful, healthy, blossoming as our apple-trees!.
Frederica once again sobbed and stopped.
– It is time to sleep, Ben…
It is more they about anything did not speak.
But Bendzhemin knew that it agrees. And the next day, having said goodbye to the wife and the child, it already flew on the passenger airplane to Greenland.
The gray-green veil of the Atlantic Ocean was replaced by polar pictures of the North. The ice desert with the mountain tops scattered on it here and there… From time to time the airplane flew by low above the ground, and then owners of these desert places – polar bears were visible. At the sight of the airplane they in horror rose by racks, stretching paws up, as if asking mercy, then started running away with an unexpected speed.
Johnson involuntarily smiled to them, envied severe, but their free life.
In the distance constructions and airfield seemed.
– Arrived!
Further events went extraordinary quickly.
