"Edmond Hamilton - The Sun Smasher" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hamilton Edmond)

of anger crossed his face, and he said savagely, тАЬThe swine. Of all the evils they could have done you,
this exile from the mind isтАФтАЭ He caught himself. тАЬNo. They might have done worse. They might have
killed you."

Banning gaped. People whirled through his mind, old Wallace, Harkness, the red-faced woman. тАЬWho
might have killed me?"

Rolf said two names, very softly. They were strange names. тАЬTharanya.тАЭ And another. тАЬJommor."

He watched Banning closely.

Suddenly Banning understood. He backed well away from the door. тАЬYou,тАЭ he said, тАЬare crazy as a
hatter.тАЭ He was glad there were bars between them.

Rolf grinned. тАЬIt's natural you should think soтАФjust as the good Sheriff thinks it of you. Don't be too hard
on him, Kyle, it isn't his fault. He's quite right, you see. Neil Banning never existed."

He bent his bead in a curiously proud little bow, and turned away. тАЬYou will be free tonight. Trust me,
even if you do not understand."
He was gone before Banning could think to yell for the deputy. Banning sat down on the bunk, utterly
dejected. For a moment he had hoped, for a moment he had been sure that the big dark man knew the
truth and could help him. It was that much harder to realize his mistake.

"I suppose,тАЭ he thought bitterly, тАЬthat every lunatic in the country will start calling me brother."

He didn't hear anything that evening about bail being arranged for him. He had not expected to.

Banning picked at the dinner they brought him. He was tired, in a sullen, ugly mood. He stretched out on
the bunk, thinking the hell with them, thinking of the pleasure he would have in suing them all for false
arrest. After a while he fell into an uneasy sleep.

The cold, iron sound of his cell door opening brought him up, wide awake. It was night now, and only the
corridor lights were on. The big dark man stood in the open door, smiling.

"Come,тАЭ he said. тАЬThe way is clear."

Banning said, тАЬHow did you get in here? How did you get those keys?'

He looked past the dark man, to the end of the corridor. The deputy was leaning forward across his
desk with his head on the blotter. One arm hung down, relaxed and boneless.

Banning cried out with sudden horror, тАЬMy God, what have you done, what have you got me into?тАЭ He
flung himself on the cell door, trying to shut it again, to force the stranger out. тАЬGet out, I won't have
anything to do with it.тАЭ He began to yell.

With an expression of regret, Rolf opened his left hand to reveal a small egg-shaped thing of metal, with a
lens in one end. He said, тАЬForgive me, Kyle. There's no time now to explain."

A brief pale flicker came out of the lens. Banning felt no pain, only a mild shock and then a dissolution as
black and still as death. He did not even feel Rolf's arms catch him as he fell.