"Peter Freewheel - Argol the Barbarian" - читать интересную книгу автора (Freewheel Peter)

Galactic tongue. "If you answer our questions satisfactorily, we may consider answering any you may
have. Your knowledge of the Universal tongue suggests you have intelligence. You must therefore realise
that we have the upper hand. It is within our power to destroy you at our will."

"Very well," Argol decided. He related the whole story of his disaster from beginning to end. Sometimes
he hesitated, searching for the words he wanted. It had been a long time since he'd held a conversation
with anyone.

"I see," the alien replied when he had finished. "Then you are the only intelligent living creature on this
planet." Argol nodded. "If you help us," the alien continued, "we may repatriate you with your home
planet, when we have completed our mission."

"Your mission?" Argol asked.

"Yes," the alien replied. "We are trying to track down an insane murderer who has escaped from a penal
colony. We were sure that the ship used in the escape was landing on this planet, but we lost it when we
hit a magnetic storm in the outer reaches of the atmosphere. As you can see it not only rendered our
tracking devices inoperative, but also damaged our steering system. I am not totally reliant on this ship,
but it is my preferred option for travel."

"Perhaps I can help you," Argol decided. "I thought I saw another ship land over there, but when I saw
the smoke from yours, I wondered if my eyes had been playing tricks on me."

"Then takes us there," the alien requested eagerly.

"You'd better want him dead," Argol replied, "for if he steps out of his ship unarmed, he'll fall to the
monsters of the forest."

"Oh dear," the alien replied. "We must hurry. We would not like any harm to come to the creature."

"But you said he was a murderer," Argol replied, somewhat bemused.

"The creature is ill," the alien replied. "We do not punish. We correct. When the creature is recovered,
we will return it to its home planet."

"Then it is not of your race?" Argol queried.

"No," the alien confirmed. "In fact, it may well be a creature of the same origin as yourself, although there
are certain differences."

"Where DO you come from?" Argol enquired.

"I believe on Earth, our planet is known as Ytrew."

"Ytrew," Argol exclaimed.

"You have heard of us?" the alien enquired. Argol nodded. There were very few people on Earth that
had not heard of the Ytrew, though few had ever seen one. The Ytrew lived on a planet somewhere in
the Andromeda Galaxy. They were an ancient race and extremely powerful, ruling nearly all of that
Galaxy. They were not dictators but benefactors. They had become legendary on Earth through space