"Edmond Hamilton - Calling Captain Future" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hamilton Edmond)

His eyes were ugly. "I've a score to settle with you, "You forget, Captain Future, that you're the prisoner!"
Captain Future. And I'll never have a better chance тАУ" "Shall I kill him at once, Doctor?" the dwarf Roj

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 Edmond Hamilton тАУ CALLING CAPTAIN FUTURE

cried eagerly. "I have never been so rudely treated in my life! The
"No, you must not kill him тАУ and you know why," idea of tossing the head of the South Venus Observato-
the black prophet rasped to the dwarf. "Bring him on ry, the discoverer of the Cepheid Nebula, the author of
out here to headquarters with the others. I think he'll the double-spectra theory, like a sack of vegetables!"
like our Hall of Enemies." He fairly sputtered. "I shall make these men rue this!
Roj sniggered with evil mirth, "Yes, yes, Doctor тАУ I'll prosecute them through the interplanetary courts! I
he will enjoy the Hall, and so will the girl and the am not a vengeful man, but this treatment is too much!"
Venusian." Curt could not help grinning at the testy little man's
Kansu Kane, the captive Venusian astronomer, shrill indignation.
raised his voice in shrill protest. "Calm down тАУ you can't prosecute them just yet," he
"This is all an outrage!" shrilled the waspish little told the Venusian.
Venusian to the image of Doctor Zarro. "I shall take ex- Joan Randall had come to Curt's side. She looked up
treme steps, unless you release us. I shall report you to at him, her brown eyes wide and her fine, firm little
the Police, sir!" face pale with self-reproach.
Curt Newton, despite his situation, could not help "If I hadn't cried out when you appeared, this would-
smiling at the angry little scientist's threat. n't have happened, " she said heart-brokenly.
Doctor Zarro paid the astronomer no attention. He Curt patted her shoulder. "You couldn't help it, Joan.
was rasping orders to the dwarf. And you did more than any other secret agent when you
"Make all speed for headquarters," he told Roj got on the trail of the Legion of Doom at Venus, and
harshly. "And see that you keep that devil Future safe тАУ gave us the tip that they were coming here to Mars to
he's got the reputation of being slippery, remember." abduct Gatola. It's too bad that the scheme Otho and I
"He won't slip out of my hands," Roj promised with prepared fell through."
malevolent emphasis. "Do you think Otho was killed when he fell from the
Doctor Zarro disappeared from the televisor. The ship with that Legion man?" Joan asked anxiously.
dwarf turned and snapped orders. "That's worrying me, though Otho can stand a lot,"
"Put all three prisoners back in the supply room, Curt said. His lips tightened. If any harm had come to
where we were keeping the girl and the Venusian," he him, God help these Legionaries, he thought. He'd have
commanded. revenge for Otho!
The huge, stupid giant Kallak stooped and lifted "What could you do about it?" said Kansu Kane
Captain Future's bound form as though he were a child. gloomily. "We can't even escape from this chamber."
Curt realized that this glandular giant's strength was Captain Future smiled at the morose little man. "I've
colossal. been in tighter places than this, and got away."
Legion men picked up Joan and Kansu Kane. They Through the window, he looked out on interplane-
were tossed unceremoniously into the small chamber in tary space. The Legion cruiser, quivering to the thrust
the fore of the ship, where Joan and Kansu had previ- of its rocket tubes, was throbbing at ever-increasing
ously been confined. speed through the void.
Roj took Captain Future's tungstite belt and proton- The red disk of Mars and the blazing sun lay dead
pistol from him, and tossed them out into the corridor. astern. The cruiser was flying directly outward.
Then the dwarf brought out a small instrument which "We're heading for the outer part of the System,"
he touched to bring forth a long, twanging sound. Curt muttered. "The only two planets in the sector of
space ahead of us are Uranus and Pluto. Doctor Zarro's

A T that sound, the pink rope-snakes that pinioned base may be on one of those two worlds."
the prisoners relaxed and uncoiled. The creatures "Captain Future, who are these men of the Legion?"