"Raymond Z. Gallun - Saturn's Ringmaster" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gallun Raymond Z)

an immeasurable host of others were as fine as him.
grains of dust. Glowing silvery with the reflected тАЬIтАЩm with you that way, Ruzza,тАЭ he said. тАЬIt
rays of the distant sun, they formed a tremendous must not happen. But IтАЩm afraid it will in spite of
arching pathway, the width of several Earths. anything we can do to prevent it. WeтАЩre stranded
Close at hand, the path was murky, like a here until doomsday. We canтАЩt even save our own
haze; but distance sharpened its outlines until it necks. Our etherphones, even at maximum power,
became a great ribbon curving around the cloud- couldnтАЩt send a warning all the way to Titan, even
wrapped bulk of Saturn. Each cosmic lump and if such a warning would do any good. Our ship
particle that composed it was a minute moon of canтАЩt be repaired, and if it could be, weтАЩd still find
the monster planet. it impossible to get far. This is BradlowтАЩs
Beyond the filmy texture of the Rings, the territory; his patrols are never far out of sight. A
greater satellites glowed sullenlyтАФMimas, Rhea, damaged flier could never escape.тАЭ
Titan, TethysтАФTethys, home of BradlowтАЩs band. тАЬSupposing some small trick of invisibility
Beyond the moon were the stars, eerily bright were used?тАЭ Ruzza queried.
against the frigid blackness of infinity. тАЬIt would be nice,тАЭ Raff replied with bitter
Under other circumstances Raff Orethon sarcasm. тАЬIt would be easy for us to go right to
might have found the view even more interesting. work and invent an invisibility machineтАФ
But now the harsh grandeur of it only served to something which has never been effectively
emphasize the helplessness of his position. His accomplished on any of the known planets.тАЭ
spaceboat was wrecked beyond any possibility of RuzzaтАЩs prongs bristled within the pocket
repair; a glance through the shattered observation that held him.
window at its crumpled prow, gleaming in the тАЬYou do not understand what I mean, Raff
contrasting lights of many spheres, was enough to Orethon!тАЭ he shrilled. тАЬIt is simpler than that!
tell him that. Wait! Put me down!тАЭ
And it was not only his life and the UranianтАЩs Obediently the Earthman hoisted Ruzza from
that would be lost; many Titan colonists would his odd refuge, and lowered him to the floor of the
perish, and many others would be reduced to a cabin. The Uranian, clad in his transparent space
state of slavery. Korse Bradlow would have his garment, drew himself with his feelers through the
way now. opening left when the craftтАЩs door had bulged
тАЬWhat will the Ringmaster do, now that he from its hinges. Raff looked into the periscope to
has the repulsion shield?тАЭ Ruzza demanded watch him in his swift scrambling progress astern.
suddenly. Presently Ruzza disappeared into a rent in the
Raff shrugged, annoyed by what seemed to crumpled jumble of the spaceboatтАЩs tail assembly.
him a childish question.

3
Raymond Z. Gallun SaturnтАЩs Ringmaster Thrilling Wonder, December, 1936

THERE was a long silence, during which Orethon RaffтАЩs brows knitted as he sought to
remained in the cabin, tentatively fussing with the concentrate. His gaze fell on the tiny atomic
machine-gun with which the craft was equipped. projectiles in the belts of the machine-gun. Each
The weaponтАЩs long barrel was badly twisted at the projectile was filled with an explosive of
muzzle. But it would be possible to saw off the tremendous violence; and each was fitted with a
ruined part, thus making the gun practically as time fuse that could delay explosion a full minute
good as new. The complicated sighting from the instant of percussion.
mechanism seemed undamaged. But at these Suddenly he was very grateful for the
thoughts RaffтАЩs lips curled cynically. What was possibilities of those fuses. The delay they offered
the use? He and Ruzza were hopelessly trapped might spell the difference between life and death
and impotent. for his small, startling companion, and for
Then the UranianтАЩs voice buzzed and shrilled himself.