"Robert A. Heinlein - Farmer In The Sky" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)

17. Disaster.77

18. Pioneer Party.82

19. The Other People.88

20. Home.95



1. Earth

Our troop had been up in the High Sierras that day and we were late getting back. We had taken off
from the camp field on time but Traffic Control swung us 'way east to avoid some weather. I didn't like it;
Dad usually won't eat if I'm not home.

Besides that, I had had a new boy shoved off on me as co-pilot; my usual co-pilot and assistant patrol
leader was sick, so our Scoutmaster, Mr. Kinski, gave me this twerp. Mr. Kinski rode in the other
copter with the Cougar Patrol.

тАЬWhy don't you put on some speed?тАЭ the twerp wanted to know.

тАЬEver hear of traffic regulations?тАЭ I asked him.

The copter was on slave-automatic, controlled from the ground, and was cruising slowly, down a freight
lane they had stuck us in.

The twerp laughed. тАЬYou can always have an emergency. HereтАФI'll show you.тАЭ He switched on the
mike. тАЬDog Fox Eight Three, calling trafficтАФтАЭ

I switched it off, then switched on again when Traffic answered and told them that we had called by
mistake. The twerp looked disgusted. тАЬMother's good little boy!тАЭ he said in sticky sweet tones.

That was just the wrong thing to say to me. тАЬGo aft,тАЭ I told him, тАЬand tell Slats Keifer to come up here.тАЭ

тАЬWhy? He's not a pilot.тАЭ

тАЬNeither are you, for my money. But he weighs what you do and I want to keep the crate trimmed.тАЭ

He settled back in his seat. тАЬOld Man Kinski assigned me as co-pilot; here I stay.тАЭ

I counted to ten and let it ride. The pilot compartment of a ship in the air is no place for a fight. We had
nothing more to say to each other until I put her down on North Diego Platform and cut the tip jets.

I was last one out, of course. Mr, Kinski was waiting there for us but I didn't see him; all I saw was the
twerp. I grabbed him by the shoulder. тАЬWant to repeat that crack now?тАЭ I asked him.

Mr. Kinski popped up out of nowhere, stepped between us and said, тАЬBill! Bill! What's the meaning of
this?тАЭ