"Thomas A. Easton - Alien Resonance" - читать интересную книгу автора (Easton Thomas A)

anything like it."
Alec nodded. "Toss us your fish, and go on."
Ybarra did, and when Alec and Franklin followed him, they found the egg lying on
the ground beside the fire cairn. Franklin set the trout on the table and asked,
"What is it?"
There were only shrugs to answer him. The five friends gathered around the
ovoid, staring. The sun was setting. Reddened light brought warm highlights from
the thing. Hands touched its strangeness. Di brought a solid ring from it when
she rapped it with a spoon handle. Franklin made it chime like a crystal wine
glass when he stroked it with fingers still wet from the pond.
Alec and Ybarra both told their stories. All agreed the thing was odd, and none
could guess what it might be or how it had come to lie among the rocks. It could
be no kind of egg, despite its looks. It could be no rock, no crystal, no
mechanical contrivance, nothing they knew but mystery. Finally, as the light
grew dim and the evening began to cool, they agreed they would have to take it
home. Ybarra's lab might give them answers, or Ellen's. It seemed unlikely that
the biologists would be much help.
Alec built up the fire with wood from the pile beside the yellow tent. Di added
larger pieces and greased their cast-iron frying pan. Franklin measured coffee
grounds into the basket in the pot. Ybarra cleared room on the table and laid
out plates. They had no chairs. They would eat sitting on the ground, or on the
rocks and logs scattered near the fire.
They paused repeatedly to stare at the egg. When Di set the frying pan on the
grill to grow hot, Alec finally said, "Shouldn't we put that thing someplace
safe? Wouldn't want to stumble over it and break it."
Ellen pointed. "Franklin's tent is closest."
Ybarra nodded. Carefully, he picked up the egg and carried it to the blue tent
in the middle of the row. When he emerged, he said to Franklin, "It shouldn't be
in the way. I tucked it in behind your dirty laundry."



The evening's conversation was not profound. Franklin wished there were more
dollars for research. Ybarra agreed. Ellen said there was plenty, if your work
interested the Defense Department. Di glumly added another dollop of rum to her
coffee.
Alec took the bottle and tipped a splash onto the ground before freshening his
own cup. "The gods are sore at us," he said. "With reason."
Ybarra bent his head upward as sparks flew from the fire. "We see the stars
here."
"And all the rest." Franklin waved an arm and took the bottle in his turn.
"Wilderness," said Di. "Animals, birds, fish, trees."
"Water," added Alec. "You can drink it without making a face."
"For a few weeks in the year." Ellen dashed dregs from her cup and reached for
the pot, venting red-lit steam beside the coals of their fire. She shared a log
with Ybarra.
"The air's clean in town." Franklin, his back against a lonely rock, watched as


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