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

the most alert of the bipeds, and in little time he had swung the stone back,
revealing the broad steps that led down into the cavern.

THROWING the flame before him, Reegan descended slowly and curiously until at
last he reached the foot of the steps. Commander-lambda had already telecast
warnings, and fresh troops were massing along the floor of the cavern to await
Reegan. The digger legions were rapidly boring passages down to the roof in
hopes that our troops might be able to drop down on Reegan from above.
Unfortunately he moved forward too rapidly for us. Keeping his torch in
continual rotation from ceiling to floor and then to both sides, the biped
Reegan, passed down the length of the vast cavern until he reached the heavy oak
portal which barred the way to the machine room.
This door he burned through, and as it sagged away, he kicked it down and passed
into the great domed chamber where the machine lay.
As your Imperil Maternity is no doubt aware, the machine room is a circular
vault, the distance of ten bipeds across and almost as high. In the center is
the machine itself. It is a structure so complicated that it defies description.
All we know is that it is fed with ore from the pits around the chamber and
secretes the gas that is our life and inspiration from crystal tubes which lead
to the surface above.
To one side of the machine are the two great masses of straw where the bipeds
who made and now tend the machine, sleep. There is a great wooden chamber where
their foodstuff is kept, and a high wooden structure where they eat. The chamber
was at all times surrounded on the inside with thousands of our troops who, by
the continual menace of their presence, kept the bipeds from escaping and forced
them to continue the operation of the machine.
These troops Reegan instantly flamed to death. As he was staring at the machine
and listening to its soft hiss, he suddenly became aware of the bipeds lying on
the straw masses. He emitted a peculiar sound and ran to them.
"Dinah!" he cried. "In God's name . . . I must be mad!"
She raised her head and cried out. Then Reegan threw his arms about her and
crushed her to him. The both of them emitted peculiar sobbing sounds continually
and totally ignored the ancient biped with the hairless skull, who gazed at them
in astonishment.
AS Commander-lambda received the reports of the biped's peculiar actions, he
deemed it wise to attempt a fresh attack. The cavern and steps were already
choked with our troops, who were ready at all costs to prevent an escape.
The biped Dinah said: "Wes, darling, this is Doctor Elmer Gropper."
Reegan nodded curtly and aided the ancient biped called Doctor Elmer Gropper to
his feet. "There's no time for talk," Reegan said. "First let me get you back to
the fort. I can hear all about everything there."
He rekindled his torch and flamed the broken chamber entrance. Then he swiftly
removed the metal fabrix suit and forced the biped called Dinah to don it. The
biped named Doctor Elmer Gropper was too weak to travel, and Reegan lifted him
to his shoulder.
Then the biped called Dinah said: "Wes.... Please destroy the apparatus. You'll
find out why later. But do it . . . "
Reegan . . . for although she named him "Wes" she spoke to him . . . turned and
played the flame over the machine. It fused and exploded, filling the chamber
with a maze of small broken parts. I fear, Imperial Maternity, that we shall