"Heinlein, Robert A - A Tenderfoot in Space - Original Version v1.0" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)

УSo? Wait till you see one. But donТt let it scare you. Kteela canТt hurt you and theyТre more scared than you areЧthey just look fearsome.Ф He brushed at his arm. УItТs little things you got to watch.Ф
Oil weed burned with a clear steady flame; the boys had a hot dinner and hot tea. No precautions were taken against fire; of the many hazards on Venus, fire was not one. The problem was to get anything to burn, not to avoid forest lire. - -
After they had eaten, one boy was examined by Mr. QuТan in first-aid and artificial respiration. Listening, Charlie found that there was much that he must 1-earn and unlearn; conditions were different. Then Rusty Dunlop broke out a mouth organ and they sang.
Finally Mr. QuТan yawned and said, УSack in, Scouts. Hard day tomorrow. Pedro, first watchЧthen rotate down the list.Ф
Charlie thought he would never get to sleep. The ground underneath his waterproof was not hard, but he was not used to sleeping with lighted sky- in his eyes. Besides that, he was acutely aware of strange noises in the bush around them.
He was awakened by a shout. УDragons! Heads up, gang! Watch yourselfТ!Ф
Without stopping to think, Charlie reached down, grabbed Nixie to his chest, then looked around. Several boys were pointing. Charlie looked and thought at first that he was seeing a helicopter.
Suddenly it came intO perspective and he realized that it was an enormous insect. . . unbelievably huge, larger than had been seen on Earth since the Carboniferous period, a quarter of a billion years ago.
It was coming toward camp. Something about itЧits wings?Чmade a whining buzz. -
It approached the tall poles with the smelly rags, hesitated, turned away. Mr. QuТan looked thoughtfully after it, glanced at Hans.
УTheyТre not swarming,Ф Hans stated positively. УAnyhow, that was a male.Ф
УMmm .... No doubt youТre right. StillЧdouble guard the rest of the night, down the roster. Tenderfeet makee-learnee only.Ф He lay down.

The troop started back the next morningЧФMorningФ by clock; Charlie, awakening stiff and sleepy to the same dull-bright, changeless sky, felt as if he had napped too long but not well during an afternoon. They headed back the way they had come. Once on the cleared road, Hans left Charlie and looked up the Scoutmaster. He was back shortly, grinning. УStay over night with me? You and Nixie?Ф
УGee! Is it okay? Your folks wonТt mind?Ф
УThey like company. You can ride in with Paw in the morning.Ф
УIt Сould be swell, Hans. . . but how about my folks? Uh, do you suppose Jock could raise Сem on the portable?Ф
УEverythingТs okay. Mr. QuТan will phone Сem when the troop gets in. . . and you can call them soon as we get to my place. If they holler, I can still catch you up with the troop.Ф
So it was settled. When they got to the little side road for the Kuppenheimer plantation Mr. QuТan ordered them to head for the house and no monkey business. They solemnly agreed and left the troop.
The side road was a dark tunnel; Hans hurried them through it. A few hundred yards farther on they came out into cultivated fields and Hans slowed down. УThatТs the only bad stretch. You okay?Ф
УSure.Ф
УLetТs check Nixie.Ф
If anything had attached itself to Nixie, they could not find ir and his wagging tail gave no sign of distress; they went on. Charlie looked around with interest. УWhat are you cropping?Ф
УJungle bread on the right. Once itТs. established you donТt. have to worry about it, smothers anything else,
mostly. Other side is mutated -bananas. They take more care.Ф
Shortly they came to the house, on a rise and with no growth around itЧa typical Venus settlerТs house, long and low and built nf spongy logs and native bamboo. HansТ mother greeted Charlie as if he were a neighbor boy, seen daily, and she petted Nixie. УHe minds me of a hund I had in Hamburg.Ф Then she set out banana cake and mugs of coffee that were mostly milk. Nixie had his cake on the floor.
There were several kids around, younger than Hans and looking like him. Charlie did not get them straight, as they talked even less than Hans did and hung back from NixieЧunlike their mother, they found him utterly strange. But presently, seeing how the. monster behaved with Hans and with their mother, they timidly patted him. After that, Nixie was the center of attention while they continued shyly to ignore Charlie.
Hans bolted his cake, hurried out. He was back a few minutes later. УMaw, whereТs the flamer?Ф
УPaw is using it.Ф
Hans looked blank. УWell.. . we donТt have to have it. Come on, Chuck.Ф He carried two hefty machetes, a blade in each hand; he handed one to Charlie.
УOkay.Ф Charlie stood up. УThanks, Mrs. KuppenheimerЧthanks a lot.Ф
УCall me СMaw.Ф
УHurry up, Charlie."
УRight. SayЧhow about that call to my folks?Ф
УI forgot! Maw, would you phone Mrs. Vaughn? Tell her Chuck is staying all night?Ф
УYes, surely. WhatТs your frequency, Charlie?Ф
УUb, you have to call city exchange and ask them to relay.Ф
УJawohl. You boys run along.Ф
They headed off through the fields. Nixie was allowed to run, which be did with glee, returning every thirty seconds or so to see that his charges had not fainted nor been kidnapped in his absence.
УWhere are we going, Hans?Ф
HansТ eyes brightened. УTo see the prettiest plantation land on Venus!Ф
УItТs mighty pretty, no doubt about it.Ф
-УNot PawТs land. I mean my plantation.Ф
УYours?Ф
УWill be mine. Paw posted an option bond. When IТm old enough, IТll prove it.Ф He hurried on.
Shortly Charlie realized that he was lost even though they were in a cultivated grove. УHold it, Hans! Can I borrow your polarizer?Ф
УWhat for?Ф
УI want to establish base, thatТs what. IТm all mixed up.Т,
УBase is that direction,Ф Hans answered, pointing with his machete. УMy polarizer is at the house. We donТt need it.Ф
УI just thought I ought to keep straight.Ф