"Bester, Alfred - Biped Reegan" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bester Alfred)

. . . that, Imperial Maternity, is a period equal to one quarter a light or one
quarter a darkness . . . we had decided to finish them off quickly.
Commander-lambda had already announced that the first faint telecasts from the
red armies had been received. The red armies were reinforcements coming up from
the south and were expected to arrive by mid-light.
MARSHAL-ALPHA had not intended to let the troops throw themselves away. The
first waves for a distance of ten bipeds remained concealed under the
vegetation. It was not until they reported that the bipeds had passed them that
the order was given for an attack.
Immediately the troops rushed down the slope from the crest of the hill toward
the squad. These at once ignited the torches, which hissed out flame to the
distance of two bipeds. The van of the charge was seared to death instantly, but
the following waves plunged over their ashes toward the bipeds. And as the
bipeds advanced in a rank toward the hill-crest, Marshal-alpha ordered the
concealed troops behind them to attack by stealth.
Unfortunately the biped Reegan was alert. Glancing backward, he noticed the
action in the rear and instantly called orders to the others. They formed a
circle, standing shoulder to shoulder, surrounding themselves with a roaring
fiery curtain. In that fashion they slowly reached the crest of the hill and
began moving toward the central peak.
Matters were becoming serious when several of the troops just before death
reported that one of the bipeds was throwing flame with his left hand. This
meant that an occasional gap was left between himself and the biped to the right
of him. When this was understood, troops immediately began to filter through the
flame and wait inside until their numbers had grown.
Although the bipeds wore the metal fabrix for protection, it had a tactical
disadvantage that ultimately proved to be their downfall. They could not sense
the attack of our troops on their person. Thus, slowly from the inside, our
troops mounted the backs of the bipeds until they were thousands thick from nape
to heel. Then, when they had telecast readiness, Marshal-alpha gave the order.
The attack was an instant success. As our troops bit through the fabrix and
swarmed to the skin of the bipeds, they screamed and broke formation. Despite
the shouts of Reegan, they dropped the torches and writhed on the ground,
striking at themselves with their palms. Instantly they were covered by hordes
of our troops, who had been waiting for this.
Two of the bipeds scorched themselves to death with their own torches. The
others struggled and screamed for a long time before the venom of our troops
then to both sides, the biped Reegan escaped. Despite the thousands of wounds
that our troops were inflicting, he ran calmly and swiftly across the crest of
the hills, throwing the destructive flame as he ran. When he reached the central
peak, from which we had been attempting to lure him, he climbed to the surface
of the broad flat stone that covers the cavern mouth, and flamed it clear.
Then, despite the agony of his wounds, he lay down carefully and rolled slowly
from face to back and then from back to face, pressing the inside of his fabrix
suit between the weight of his body and the stone. In such manner he succeeded
in crushing those of our troops who had penetrated to his skin. It was a cool
device.
Commander-lambda was rushing troops toward the stone in hopes of occupying the
biped Reegan with another attack before he discovered the secret, when suddenly
Reegan felt the stone shift on its pivots under his weight. He was the quickest,