"Gordon R. Dickson - The Forever Man" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

val. Hundred kilometer interval." He glanced at the sweep
second hand of the clock before him on his control board.
"Transmit in six seconds. Counting. Five. Four. Three. Two.
One. Transmit-"
Again, the disorientation, and the nausea.
Strange stars were around them. The mind-unit's lights
glowed while it verified their position and adjusted the figures
for the precalculated next jump. After a time it whispered in
Jim's ear again, and-
"Check Ten," whispered Jim. It was the code for "make
next jump immediately."
"Three. Two. One. Transmit-"
Once again the wrench of dislocation. Nausea. Lights
glowed in silence as time passed again-

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"Check Ten...
Ten more times they shifted, silent tension reflecting the
waits for calculations while they floated, only lights in the
silent darkness. Then they were there.
In darkness. They were alone amongst the enemy's stars.
None of the other ships registered on the instruments.
"Report," ordered Jim to the universe at large.
"Swallow..." came a whisper in his earphones as from
somewhere unseen a tight beam touched the outside of the
AndFriend, carrying its message to his ears. "Fair Maid...
Lela A slightly longer pause. "Fourth Helen."
Fourth Helen was always a laggard. Jim had beaced her
pilot about it a dozen times. But now was not the hour for
reprimands. They were deep in Laagi territory, and the alien
alert posts would have already picked up the burst of energy
not only from their initial transmit from Picket Nine, which
had been precalculated by the com-ship there over the hours
since La Chasse Gallerie had been discovered-and which
consequently had been able to send them with some accuracy
half the distance to her-but from the succeeding jumps that
had brought them light-years deep into laaagi territory. Com-
munication between the ships of the Section must be held to a
minimum while the aliens were still trying to figure out where
the chain of shifts had landed the intruders.
Shortly, since they must know of the approximate position
of La Chasse Gallerie, and have ships on the way to try to kill
her again, they would put two and two together and expect to
find the intruders in the same area. But for the moment
Wander Section, if it lay low and quiet, could feel it was
safely hidden in the immensities of enemy space.
Jim blocked off outside transmission, and spoke over the
intercom to Mary.