"Harry Harrison - Galactic Dreams" - читать интересную книгу автора (Harrison Harry)

perfect salute, motors whining thinly in his prosthetic lungs to power the
Brobdingnagian roar of his harshly bellowed command.

"At ease. And listen to me. You are the hand-picked men, and hand-picked
things too, of course, from all the civilized worlds of the galaxy. Six
million and forty-three cadets entered the first year of training, and most of
them washed out in one way or another. Some could not toe the mark. Some were
expelled and shot for buggery. Some believed the lying commie pinko crying
liberal claims that continuous war and slaughter are not necessary, and they
were expelled and shot as well. One by one the weaklings fell away through the
years leaving the hard core of the Corpsyou! The Corpsmen of the first
graduating class of the CCC! Ready to spread the benefits of civilization to.
the stars. Ready at last to find out what the initials CCC stand for!тАЭ

A mighty roar went up from the massed throats, a cheer of hoarse masculine
enthusiasm that echoed and boomed from the stadium walls. At a signal from von
Thorax a switch was thrown, and a great shield of imperviumite slid into place
above, sealing the stadium from prying eyes and ears and snooping spyish rays.
The roaring voices roared on enthusiastically, and many an eardrum was burst
that day! Yet they were stilled in an instant when the Colonel raised his
hand.

"You Corpsmen will not be alone when you push the frontiers of civilization
out to the barbaric stars. Oh no! You will each have a faithful companion by
your side. First man, first row, step forward and meet your faithful
companion!тАЭ

The called out Corpsman stepped forward a smart pace and clicked his heels
sharply, said click being echoed in the clack of a thrown-wide door, and,
without conscious intent, every eye in that stadium was drawn in the direction
of the pitch-black doorway from which emerged . . .

How to describe it? How to describe the whirlwind that batters you, the storm
that engulfs you, the spacewarp that enwraps you? It was as indescribable as
any natural force! It was a creature three meters high at the shoulders, four
meters high at the ugly, drooling, tooth-clashing head, a whirlwinded,
spacewarped storm that rushed forward on four piston-like legs, great-clawed
feet tearing grooves in the untearable surface of the impervitium flooring. A
monster born of madness and nightmares that reared up before them and bellowed
forth a soul-destroying screech.

"There!тАЭ Colonel von Thorax bellowed in answer, bloodspecked spittle mottling
his lips. "There is your faithful companion, the mutacamel, mutation of the
noble beast of Good Old Earth, symbol and pride of the CCC, the Combat Camel
Corps! Corpsman meet your camel!тАЭ

The selected Corpsman stepped forward and raised his arm in greeting to this
noble beast which promptly bit the arm off. His shrill screams mingled with
the barely stifled gasps of his companions who watched, with more than casual
interest, as camel trainers girt with brass-buckled leather harness rushed out