第33章 赌约
最新网址:m.ltxsdz.com
夏树从来不是一个用热脸贴别人冷屁股的人,心中涌起的喜悦迅速退潮,转而以轻描淡写的语调说道:“我和露易丝公主是专程前来观看英王杯水上竞速赛的,人们都说这会是最精彩的一届竞速赛,不知夫人和小姐是否也为此而来?”
“是的,大家都想知道究竟多么快的快艇能赢得这十万英镑的巨奖,所以都好奇地赶来了。龙腾小说ltxs520.com”撇去刚刚的惊讶,希尔夫人说话时的表情也如湖面般平静,越是如此,越能够显现出她的端庄之美。
“大概和旗鱼一样快吧!”夏树随口一说,也没顾虑这其中蕴含的“机密”旗鱼的平均时速约为90公里,短距离冲刺时可以达到110公里,而弗里德里希皇家船舶造修厂的新快艇测试速度正好处于这个水平。用不了多久,人们就能够在泰晤士河口亲眼见证这一“奇迹”。
这时,夏洛特扬起脸:“爸爸说过,没有船可以游得跟旗鱼一样快。”
习惯了露易丝说话时的温善笑容,看着眼前这张冷峻的娇艳小脸,夏树突然冒出恶作剧的想法,于是,他故意摆出很较真的神情:“那么我们可以打个赌,如果这次冠军的成绩超过了旗鱼算我赢,否则算你赢,如何?”
希尔夫人看起来并没有要插话的打算,也许在她看来,这只是两个未成年人的童言童语。夏洛特眨巴眨巴眼睛:“旗鱼一个小时大概可以游60海里。”
以人类上千年的航海经验,目测估算一条海鱼的速度也不是太难的事情,60海里也大致相当于科学测定的旗鱼极速,只是夏洛特的说话方式让夏树觉得这是个机灵狡猾的小妞,所以他笑着应道:“你这条旗鱼可是世界冠军级的。”
“超过60海里的时速才算你赢,怎么样?”希尔小姐脸上终于有了冷峻之外的表情骄傲的挑衅。
夏树不失时机地应了下来:“赌注是什么?”
夏洛特显然已经想好的赌注,她飞快地说道:“如果我赢了,任我们在这里各挑一件合意的衣服,由您付账。”
就算买下这里所有的衣服,夏树也不至于沦落街头,他很快想好了自己的交换条件:“那如果我赢了,请我和露易丝到府上作几天客,如何?”
这一次,夏洛特转头看了看母亲的脸,希尔夫人稍有些意外,但这个赌约显然还是在她能够接受的心理范围之内,于是不慌不忙地说:“能够邀请到普鲁士的王子和公主殿下是我们莫大的荣幸。”
“那就一言为定。”夏树笑得狡黠无比。
看到夏树这个表情,夏洛特撅嘴道:“好,到时候可别赖账!”
“我以个人名誉担保。”夏树如是回答,这会儿露易丝也走了过来,在她礼貌地和夏洛特母女打招呼后,夏树对胞妹说:“希尔小姐准备请我们去他们的庄园作客,好像是在塞特福德还是萨德伯里,上次听希尔将军说起过一次。”
对于夏树的这种自信姿态,夏洛特虽是不屑,但也没有轻易动怒,她对露易丝说:“我们的庄园在塞特福德,那里是个有如仙境的地方,只是我不确定人类发明的航行器能否达到旗鱼一样的惊人速度。”
“旗鱼?”露易丝一脸天真地看了看夏树,“旗鱼的速度难道比巡洋舰还快吗?”
夏洛特顿时语塞,夏树也微微耸了耸肩,至少在这一刻,他们找到了那么一丁点共鸣。
黄昏时,夏树和露易丝从伦敦乘火车东行至肯特郡的大韦克灵,这里位于泰晤士河口北岸,有着笔直平坦的海岸线和田园式的海滨风光,更重要的是,大量参赛船艇集中于此并不影响泰晤士河上的繁忙商业航线。这日已是报名截止的最后一天,主办方划定的赛艇停泊水域已有好几百艘船艇,它们形态各异、色彩纷呈。那些专业竞速赛艇就像是古罗马战士,铠甲光亮、肌肉发达,浑身上下没有多余累赘;私人游艇看起来像是穿睡袍者,给人以懒散臃肿的的感觉,即便卸去了多余的载物,那些用于修饰的木板木条还是加重了不少负担;通常在港口或航道活动的交通艇就像是跑堂杂役,无论衣装光鲜还是邋里邋遢,都无法改变它们结构轻薄、用途单一的本质;除此之外,这里还能看到不少为角逐奖金而临时自制的快艇,它们大小不一,不乏外观奇特的异类。
皇家船舶造修厂派出的参赛人员和装备已先期抵达英国,这支踌躇满志的队伍依然由经验丰富的威泽尔大叔带队。当不少参赛者还在为一顿热饭而四处寻觅时,大叔早租下了带船库的海滨别野,他们的新快艇不必像大多数参赛船只那样风吹浪打,赛前还能进行妥善的维护和检修。
吃着专业厨师烹饪的海鲜大餐,听威泽尔大叔述说与赛事有关的种种趣闻,夏树因为逛了一天街而倍感疲倦的身心终于得到了放松。从到场船艇的状况来看,大多数人都是奔着巨奖而来的泛泛之辈,真正具有竞争力的寥寥无几。不过本届赛事奖金暴增,参赛门槛却没有提高,以至于通过报名的船艇达六百多艘,远超上一届赛艇数量,主办方只好临时修改赛制,将原有的无次序竞速改为预决赛制,所有参赛船艇分为二十个小组展开决赛,每组排名前三的晋级决赛。
干掉了第二份鲑鱼,夏树啜了口白兰地,向皇家船舶造修厂的首席快艇驾驶员发问:“戈德,我们的‘海妖’能在泰晤士河口跑出60节以上的航速么?”
戈德是个有着漂亮鹅蛋形脸的德国青年,他头脑灵活、反应敏捷,平衡能力更是惊人。在但泽外海试航时,他驾驶“海妖”达到过62节的极速,但是北海的天气、海况与波罗的海南部有一定的差别,戈德想了想:“殿下,我不敢保证全程均速能够超过60节,但击败那些臭鱼烂虾夺得冠军还是很有信心的。”
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