"Edmond Hamilton - The Godmen" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hamilton Edmond)

"Go on,тАЭ said Harlow.

"Help me set Brai free,тАЭ said Yrra coolly. тАЬThen he and I will tell you all that is known about the Vorn."

Harlow felt his momentary hopes wither. тАЬIt's no good,тАЭ he said. тАЬIt can't be done; we're not allowed to
interfere with local law and justice. Anyway, where would your brother go? They'd just grab him again
when we left."

"There are other towns and people on this world beside Ktasha,тАЭ said the girl. тАЬBrai and I will go to one
of them. Our parents are dead, there's only the two of us."

Harlow shook his head. тАЬI don't blame you for trying to break him out but it's no deal. We can't use
force, it's against our orders and anyway, we're about to be run out as it is."

"There would be no need of fighting!тАЭ Yrra said earnestly. тАЬI know where he is, all I need is help to slip
him out of there.тАЭ She added, тАЬUnless you do so you will learn nothing."

Harlow felt trapped. The rules of the Star Survey were rigid. Its men were allowed to defend themselves
but not to barge into other peoplesтАЩ worlds and throw their weight around. From the very start, it had
been a basic tenet that Earth's sudden leap into space was not to be used for crude imperialism.

And yet if he left ML-441 without a single clue to Dundonald's trail, without an inkling of where
Dundonald had gone in his search for the Vorn, he would have to go home and report failure. It was a
long way back to Sol, for that.
"I just don't see howтАФтАЭ Harlow began, and then was stricken dumb by a startling interruption.

From the moonless sky of stars came a faraway shriek that in a heartbeat of time became a thunderous
roar. Yrra cried out and upward at a black bulk with rows of lights that was down upon them like a
falling meteor. But Harlow had ready recognized that sound, and it was the last sound he had expected to
hear.

"Another ship!тАЭ he exclaimed. тАЬNow whyтАФтАЭ Then his hopes bounded. тАЬBy Heaven, maybe it's
Dundonald come back here!"

"They have seen, in the town,тАЭ Yrra said swiftly. тАЬLook!"

Back in the Ktashan town the torches were tossing wildly as men ran back out onto the dark plain. Over
the dull, steady roar of riven atmosphere from the descending ship, Harlow could hear faraway cries of
anger and alarm. He could well imagine the state of mind of N'Kann and the others when, right after
ordering his own ship away, they saw another one arrive.

"They are coming,тАЭ Yrra said. тАЬAnd if they find me talking secretly with you here, I will be imprisoned
like Brai."

He took her arm. тАЬCome with me. It's all you can do, until they calm down."

He ran with her toward the lights of the Thetis glancing up warily to make sure he did not get under the
descending ship. But the newcomer was dropping down on the plain a little beyond the Thetis.