"Follett, James - Earthsearch 00 - Mindwarp" - читать интересную книгу автора (Follett James)

The senior of the four policemen peered up at the tree
that Bel had pointed out. His three colleagues were aiming
their PD weapons at the crown of fronds, holding the butts
with both hands to ensure a steady aim.
`Fire!'
Three beams of brilliant plasma darted at the tree. The
crown exploded as the sap in the tree was converted in an
instant to superheated steam. The tree's headless bole hissed
clouds of vapour like a pressure valve, and shredded palm
fronds rained down. A police officer with faster reflexes
than his colleagues tracked the black shape that had launched
itself across the gap to the next tree. A wide angle fan of
power spat from his weapon. The terrified bird hit the wall
of energy. The police officers backed off quickly as bits of
bone and feathers fluttered down onto the grass. None of them
wanted even fragments of the abomination from hell to touch
them.
A white air-cushion car bearing the GoD logo hummed across
the grass to the police officers. A senior technician-priest
climbed out when her chauffeur opened her door. She conferred
with the senior police officer while the chauffeur marked off
the area around the remains of the bird with a broad, white
ribbon.
`It's all over, everyone,' announced the cruiser as it
went on a circuit of the square. `Please go about your
business but stay out of the square. The square is off limits
for the time-being. It's all over. Please disperse. Please
disperse.'
But it wasn't over, of course. The square would be closed
until the next Tenth Day when special cleansing and
reconsecration services would be held. Also it was likely
that all the trees that the bird had alighted in would be
uprooted and recycled. And no doubt there would be an inquiry
to track down the source of the heresies that had resulted in
the creature from hell materializing in Galthan.
Bel walked around the square's periphery road which was
now unusually crowded. People were talking in awed, hushed
tones, and glancing furtively at the priest and the chauffeur
who were using tongs to pick up the incinerated remains of
the abomination and were dropping them in a bag.
He reached Kally's apartment and touched his fingertips on
the identification panel. The door slid open. That pleased
him. It meant that she wanted him there when she arrived
home. He entered the living-room whose floor area was greater
than his entire apartment. Owning her own business and having
a war widows' pension meant that Kally could afford the
largest family-size domestic unit available in a good
neighbourhood. The living room bore a picture of the emperor;
the only one in the apartment and the legal minimum.
`Kally?' he called out, just in case his guardian angel's