"Brad Ferguson - To Tell The Troof" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ferguson Brad)

тАЬWeтАЩll have to take the car,тАЭ McAleer said. Zweebl grimaced. McAleer
smiled faintly. тАЬIs the fuel tank filled?тАЭ
тАЬLast time I look.тАЭ
тАЬVery well. Church first. Come on.тАЭ They left the mission residence
through the connecting door to the small chapel.
Once inside the darkened church, McAleer went to the altar,
genuflected, and opened the door to the small tabernacle; Zweebl waited
in the rear of the church. McAleer secured several consecrated wafers and
placed them carefully in his pyx. Forgive the rush, Lord, he murmured as
he hastily closed the tabernacle door.
тАЬAll done, Zweebl,тАЭ he said. тАЬLetтАЩs hurry.тАЭ The two left the church by the
front door.
McAleerтАЩs only transportation was an old, rusting gevster left behind by
the trade group that used to be on Henderson; it had taken McAleer a
great deal of tinkering to get it to run. The priest kept the heap parked by
the side of the residence, covered with an old tarp; he pulled it off, getting
himself rather dusty in the process, and Zweebl punched the codes to
unlock the doors. The two got in, and McAleer quickly hit the ignition
codes; the dual turbines started with a loud roar.
тАЬYe gads,тАЭ said Zweebl. тАЬWish had ears to cover.тАЭ
McAleer glanced at the fuel indicator; it showed only a quarter of a
tank. McAleer could not indulge in casual conversation тАФ he was carrying
the Host тАФ but he wished he could ask Zweebl just when heтАЩd last looked
at that indicator. It wasnтАЩt important right now тАФ a quarter of a tank was
more than enough to get them to the field and back тАФ but it annoyed
McAleer; it added an item to the list of things Zweebl had fudged.
The priest fed more power to the turbines; the gevster lifted unevenly
for a foot and then came level. Dust and trash flying around them,
McAleer pushed the stick forward gently and, with a start, the gevster
drunkenly weaved its way ahead, trying to find its air legs.
тАЬHere goes nothing,тАЭ Zweebl said. тАЬEvery time we do this, neighbors
complain like hell.тАЭ
McAleer gestured Zweebl to be silent, and tapped the jacket pocket in
which he was carrying the pyx. тАЬOh,тАЭ said Zweebl, suddenly
understanding. тАЬDidnтАЩt realize. Forgive.тАЭ McAleer nodded.
The gevster finally found its internal rhythm and noisily whooshed
ahead on a reasonably straight course.
Fifteen minutes later, the gevster roared to a halt in front of the landing
fieldтАЩs small administration building. McAleer popped the gevsterтАЩs doors,
and he and Zweebl hurried out amid the settling dust and leaves.
The control room was just off the small lobby, and boasted an excellent
view of the landing field, thanks to a big window typical of Troof
construction. The Troof liked light and air. Entering, McAleer could see
Klatho, the field superintendent, gesturing excitedly and squeaking orders
to the two other Troof in the room. Klatho noticed the arrival of McAleer
and Zweebl at about the same moment.
тАЬHello, Father, Zweebl,тАЭ Klatho called. тАЬShip made it through
atmospheric skip maneuver, donтАЩt ask me how. Approaching field. One hot
damn pilot, that boy.тАЭ
тАЬWhere on the field will the ship set down?тАЭ McAleer asked. тАЬI should be