"Frank Herbert - Escape Felicity" - читать интересную книгу автора (Herbert Brian & Frank)

The spectrum analyzer produced the datum that the atmosphere was essentially transparent from 3,000
angstroms to 6 X 104angstroms. It was a confirmation and he ignored the instruments when they began
producing hydromagnetic data and water vapor impingements. There was only one important fact here:
he could breathe the stuff out there.

Instead of filling him with a sense of joyful discovery - as it might have thirty or forty days earlier - this
turned on a new spasm of the push. He had to consciously restrain himself from clawing at the instrument
panel.

Beirut 's teeth began to chatter.

The viewer showed him an island appearing over the horizon. The B-ship swept over it. Beirut gasped at
sight of an alabaster ring of tall buildings hugging the curve of a bay. Bots on the water resolved into
sailboats as he neared. How oddly familiar it all looked.

Then he was past and headed for a mainland with a low range of hills -more buildings, roads, the
patchwork of fenced lands. Then he was over a wide range of prairie with herds of moving animals on it.

Beirut 's fingers curled into claws. His skin trembled.

The landing jets cut in and his seat reversed itself. The ship nosed up and the seat adjusted to the new
attitude. There came a roaring as the ship lowered itself on its tail jets. The proximity cut-off killed all
engines.

The B-ship settled with a slight jolt.



Blue smoke and clouds of whirling ashes lifted past Beirut 's scanners from the scorched landing circle.
Orange flames swept through dry forage on his right, but the chemical automatics from the ship's nose
sent a borate shower onto the fire and extinguished it. Beirut saw the backs of animals fleeing through the
smoke haze beyond the fire. Amplification showed them to be four-legged, furred and with tiny flat
heads. They ran like bouncing balls. A light band of fear cinched on Beirut 's chest. This place was too
earthlike. His teeth chattered with the unconscious demands of the push.

His instruments informed him they were picking up modulated radio signals - FM and AM. A light
showing that the Probe-Test-Watch circuits were activated came alive. Computer response circuit
telltales began flickering. Abruptly, the P-T-W bell rang, telling him: 'Something approaches!'

The viewer showed a self-propelled vehicle rolling over a low hill to the north supported by what
appeared to be five monstrous pneumatic bladders. It headed directly toward the B-ship belching pale
white smoke from a rear stack with the rhythm of steam power. External microphones picked up the
confirming 'chuff-chuff-chuff' an' his computer announced that it was a double-action engine with sounds
that indicated five opposed pairs of pistons.

A five-sided dun brown cab with dark blue-violet windows overhung the front of the thing.

In his fascination with the machine, Beirut almost forgot the wild urge pushing at him from within. The
machine pulled up about fifty meters beyond the charred landing circle, extruded a muzzle that belched a
puff of smoke at him. The external microphones picked up a loud explosion and the D-ship rocked on its