"Gordon R. Dickson & Harry Harrision - Lifeship" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

twisted her features as his hand touched her head. But the look was gone
almost as soon as it had appeared. She followed him with the normal calmness
of arbite expression on her face.

Giles reached out ahead to close his hand on the right shoulder of Groce. The
man flinched at the touch.

"Steady, there!" snapped Giles. "All you have to do is obey. Move, nowl"

"Yes, Honor," muttered Groce, doubtfully. But his shoulder squared under
Giles' fingers. His step became firmer, and he led the way into the smoky
corridor.

The smoke thickened. They all coughed. Giles felt the hand of the girl, Mara,
grope for the slack of his jacket in back and take hold of it.

"Keep moving!" said Giles, between coughs. "It can't be much further."

Suddenly they came up against a barrier.

"A door," said Groce.

"Open it. Go on through!" snapped Giles, impatiently. The arbite obeyedтАФand
suddenly they were all in a small area where the smoke was less dense. Mara
pushed closed behind them the door by which they had just entered.

There was another door directly in front of them, also closed. A heavy
airlock door. Stepping past Groce, Giles pushed at it without being able to
open it, then pounded on its activating button with his fist. The door opened
slowly, swinging inward, away from them. Beyond was an airlock space and a
further airlock door, open.

"Go," said Giles briefly to the two arbites, pointing to the other open lock.
Mara obeyed, but Groce hesitated.

"Honor, sir?" he asked. "PleaseтАФwhat happened to the Spacehner?"

"An explosion somewhere aft. I don't know what caused it/' answered Giles,
shortly. "Go ahead, now. The lifeship's through the further lock, there.*'
Groce still hesitated. "What if there's others coming?" he asked. "Anyone
coming will be here soon," Giles said. "With this smoke already in the
corridors, there isn't much time. This lifeship is going to have to be
launched soon." "But what if, when I get insideтАФ"

"When you get inside," Giles said, "there'll be an Albenareth there to tell
you what to do. There's an alien officer in charge of any lifeship. Now,
movel"

Groce went. Giles turned back to make sure that the airlock door behind him
was closed. The smoke was eddying around him, although he could not see the