"Edmond Hamilton - Pardon My Nerves" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hamilton Edmond)

could do to cling erect in the giant scoop as not entirely a surprise to me for I had
we jolted along. noticed by now that they all had speech-
And I was forced to admit that even the diaphragms on their circuit-boxes. Still it
mighty strength of Grag could not avail was rather overwhelming.
against the colossal machine. I saw that I But anger tempered my astonishment. I,
must resort to guile, to using my mind Grag, the mightiest being in the System,
against the stupid monster. called a toy !
Clinging to the edge of the scoop I But worse was in store. A Tender spoke
peered at the fixed lenses of the thing and up, its jointed fuel and lubrication lines
shouted to it, тАЬWhere are you taking me ?тАЭ projecting from its cylindrical metal bulk
as its lenses surveyed me.



11
 тАЬHe's a puny little squirt but he has his тАЬTo the Liberator !тАЭ bellowed the horde.
rightsтАФafter all he's one of us !тАЭ тАЬHe'll soon fix up this guy with some
тАЬThat's right,тАЭ boomed the big Digger intelligence !тАЭ
that had captured me. It swung on its I gathered that that meant me. To be
treads, speaking to the nightmare referred to by these ungainly machines as
assemblage of machines. тАЬSay, this is a unintelligent was the final straw.
great occasion ! This is the first liberated I was about to attempt action when the
Mach to come to us from Outside !тАЭ Digger who held me rumbled up to the
That did it ! That I, Grag, should be work-base and stopped. It had halted in
classed by these stupid, automatic Machs front of the metalloy-and-cement
as one of them ! emergency shelter there.
тАЬI'm not a Mach !тАЭ I roared.

T
тАЬFurthermore I demand to know why HE Digger unceremoniously dumped
you're all here doing nothing ! Why aren't me in front of the shelter's airlock
you at work ?тАЭ door and bellowed deafeningly, тАЬHere's
тАЬWork ?тАЭ roared a giant Crusher. It another of us to fix up, Liberator !тАЭ
advanced on me ominously. тАЬSay, this guy I had been about to turn furiously and
isn't a Mach ! He talks about work !тАЭ attack the whole monstrous mob but that
тАЬBeat him up !тАЭ bellowed a dozen gave me pause. Who was this Liberator ?
voices deafeningly. Only a human would be inside that shelter!
The Machs surged in toward me. I There was a mystery here. Deciding
would have been crushed to scrap if the instantly to solve it I strode forward into
Digger who had captured me had not the airlock. It was of the standard patternтАФ
scooped me up swiftly. I closed the outer door, turned on the air
тАЬWait !тАЭ it roared. тАЬHe's a Mach all that forced the poisoned atmosphere out of
rightтАФhe just hasn't been liberated yet !тАЭ the lock, then pushed into the small room
That gave them pause. Then a Tender of the shelter in-self.
spoke up. We'll take him to the Liberator!тАЭ I stood, my eyes searching the dim
тАЬTo the Liberator !тАЭ the cry went up. room. Then I saw an elderly gray-haired
Instantly the Digger who held me, Earthman, who was crouched in a corner
followed by all the ho rde of Machs, started of the room, regarding me with terrified
back the way we had come. eyes.
By now, jolting along at the head of that I strode forward.