"Blish, James - Bindlestiff - txt" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blish James)

УOur contractЧФ
УFulfilledЧtake my word for it. Spin!Ф
The city screamed and sprang aloft. The planet of He did not dwindleЧit simply vanished, snuffed out in the intergalactic gap. It was the first of the pioneers.
Amalfi took the controls, the barium casing cracking and falling away from him as he moved. The air still stank of Hawkesite, but the concentration of the gas already had been taken down below the harmful level by the cityТs purifiers. The mayor began to edge the city away from the vector of HeТs movement and the cityТs own, back toward the home lens.
Hazieton stirred restlessly.
УYour conscience bothering you, Mark?Ф
УMaybe,Ф Hazieton said. УIs there some escape clause in our contract that lets us run off like this? If there is I missed it, and I read the fine print pretty closely.Ф
УNo, no escape clause,Ф Amalfi said, shifting the space stick
delicately. УThe Hevians wonТt be hurt. The spindizzy screen will protect them from loss of heat and atmosphereЧtheir volcanoes will supply more heat than theyТll need, and their technology is up to artificial UV generation. But they wonТt be able to put out enough UV to keep the jungle alive. By the time they reach the Andromedan star that suits them, theyТll understand the spindizzy principle well enough to set up a proper orbit. Or maybe theyТll like roaming better by then, and decide to be an Okie planet. Either way, we did what we promised to do, fair and square.Ф
УWe didnТt get paid,Ф the city manager pointed out. УAnd itТll take our last reserves to get back to any part of our own galaxy. The bindlestiff got off, and got carried Сway out of range of the cops in the processЧwith plenty of dough, women, everything.Ф
УNo, they didnТt,Ф Amalfi said. УThey blew up the moment we moved He.Ф
УAll right,Ф Hazieton said resignedly. УYou could detect that; IТll take your word for it. But youТd better be able to explain it.Ф
УItТs not hard to explain. The Сstiffs had captured Dr. Beetle. I was pretty sure they would. They came to He for no other reason. They needed the fuelless drive, and they knew Dr. Beetle had it, because of the agronomistsТ SOS. So they snatched him when he landedЧnotice how they made a big fuss about the other agronomist life ship, to divert our attention?Чand worked the secret out of him.Ф
УSo?Ф
УSo,Ф Amalfi said, Уthey forgot that any Okie city always has passengers like Dr. BeetleЧpeople with big ideas only partially worked out, ideas that need the finishing touches that can only be provided by some other culture. After all, a man doesnТt take passage on an Okie city unless heТs a third-rate sort of person, hoping to make his everlasting fortune on some planet where the people know less than he does.Ф
Hazleton scratched his head ruefully. УThatТs right. We had the same experience with the Lyran invisibility machine. It didnТt work, until we took that Hruntan physicist on board; he had the necessary extra knowledgeЧbut he couldnТt have discovered the principle himself, either.Ф
УExactly. The Сstiffs were in too much of a hurry. They didnТt
carry their stolen fuelless drive with them until they found some culture which could perfect it. They tried to use it right awayЧthey were lazy. And they tried to use it inside the biggest spindizzy field ever generated. It blew up. If we hadnТt left them parsecs behind in a split second, it would have blown up He at the same time.Ф
Hazleton sighed and began to plot the probable point at which the city would return to its own galaxy. It turned out to be a long way away from the Rift, in an area that, after a mental wrench to visualize it backwards from the usual orientation, promised a fair population.
УLook,Ф he said, УweТll hit about where the last few waves of the Acolytes settledЧremember the Night of Hadjjii?Ф
Amalfi didnТt, since he hadnТt been born then, nor had Hazleton; but he remembered the history, which was what the city manager had meant. With a sidelong glance, he leaned forward, resumed the helmet he had cast aside a year ago, and turned on the City Fathers.
The helmet phone shrilled with alarm. УAll right, all right,Ф he growled. УWhat is it?Ф
УMAYOR AMALFI, HAVE YOU TIPPED THIS PLANET?Ф
УNo,Ф Amalfi said. УWe sent it on its way as it was.Ф
There was a short silence, humming with computation.
УVERY WELL. WE MUST NOW SELECT THE POINT AT WHICH WE LEAVE THE RIFT. STAND BY FOR DETERMINATION.Ф
Amalfi and Hazleton grinned at each other. Amalfi said, УWeТre coming in on the last Acolyte stars. Give us a determination for the present setup there, pleaseЧФ
УYOU ARE MISTAKEN. THAT AREA IS NOWHERE NEAR THE RIFT. WE WILL GIVE YOU A DETERMINATION FOR THE FAR RIFT WALL: STAND BY.Ф
Amalfi removed the headset gently.
УThat,Ф he said, moving the phone away from his mouth, Уwas long agoЧand far away.Ф