"Bradbury, Ray - The Illustrated Man" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bradbury Ray)

Martin looked steadily at the mayor.

The mayor put out his hand. УWas there ever any doubt of it?Ф He beckoned to the others and turned. УCome along now. We mustnТt keep him waiting."

They walked into the city.


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The Long Rain


THE rain continued. It was a hard rain, a perpetual rain, a sweating and steaming rain; it was a mizzle, a downpour, a fountain, a whipping at the eyes, an undertow at the ankles; it was a rain to drown all rains and the memory of rains. It came by the pound and the ton, it hacked at the jungle and cut the trees like scissors and shaved the grass and tunneled the soil and molted the bushes. It shrank menТs hands into the hands of wrinkled apes; it rained a solid glassy rain, and it never stopped.

УHow much farther, Lieutenant?Ф

УI donТt know. A mile, ten miles, a thousand.Ф

УArenТt you sure?Ф

УHow can I be sure?Ф

УI donТt like this rain. If we only knew how far it is to the Sun Dome, IТd feel better.Ф

УAnother hour or two from here.Ф

УYou really think so, Lieutenant?Ф

УOf course.Ф

УOr are you lying to keep us happy?Ф

УIТm lying to keep you happy. Shut up!Ф

The two men sat together in the rain. Behind them sat two other men who were wet and tired and slumped like clay that was melting.

The lieutenant looked up. He had a face that once had been brown and now the rain had washed it pale, and the rain had washed the color from his eyes and they were white, as were his teeth, and as was his hair. He was all white. Even his uniform was beginning to turn white, and perhaps a little green with fungus.

The lieutenant felt the rain on his cheeks. УHow many million years since the rain stopped raining here on Venus?Ф

УDonТt be crazy,Ф said one of the two other men. УIt never stops raining on Venus. It just goes on and on. IТve lived here for ten years and I never saw a minute, or even a second, when it wasnТt pouring.Ф

УItТs like living under water,Ф said the lieutenant, and rose up, shrugging his guns into place. УWell, weТd better get going. WeТll find that Sun Dome yet.Ф

УOr we wonТt find it,Ф said the cynic.

УItТs an hour or so.

УNow youТre lying to me, Lieutenant.Ф