"Keith Laumer - Hybrid" - читать интересную книгу автора (Laumer Keith)

the pain of unaccustomed activity, the tree sent out new shock roots--
cables three inches in diameter, strong as stranded steel--to grip the
upreared rock slabs a hundred yards north of the tap root.
There was nothing more the tree could do. Impassively, it awaited the
onslaught of the storm.

"That's a storm down there," Malpry said.
"Don't worry, we'll miss it." Gault fingered controls, eyes on dial
faces.
"Pull up and make a new approach," Malpry said, craning his neck from
his acceleration cradle. "Shut up. I'm running this tub."
"Locked in with two nuts," Malpry said.'"You and the creep."
"Me and the creep are getting tired of listening to you bitch, Mal."
"When we land, Malpry, I'Il meet you outside," Pantelle said. "I told
you I don't like the name 'Creep'."
"What, again?" Gault said. "You all healed up from the last time?"
"Not quite; I don't seem to heal very well in space."
"Permission denied, Pantelle," Gault said. "He's too big for you. Mal,
leave him alone."
"I'll leave him alone," Malpry muttered. "I ought to dig a hole and
leave him in it...."
"Save your energy for down there,'' Gault said. "If we don't make a
strike on this one, we've had it."
"Captain, may I go along bn the held reconnaissance? My training in
biology--"
"You better stay with the ship, Pantelle. And don't tinker. Just wait
for us. We haven't got the strength to carry you back."
"That was an accident, Captain--"
"And the time before. Skip it, Pantelle. You mean well, but you've got
two left feet and ten thumbs."
"I've been working on improving my coordination, Captain. I've been
reading--"
The ship buffeted sharply as guidance vanes bit into atmosphere;
Pantelle yelped.
"Oh-oh," he called. "I'm afraid I've opened up that left elbow again."
"Don't bleed on me, you clumsy slob," Malpry said.
"Quiet!" Gault said between his teeth. "I'm busy."
Pantelle fumbled a handkerchief in place over the cut. He would have to
practice those relaxing exercises he had read about. And he would
definitely start in weight-lifting soon-and watching his diet. And he
would be very careful this time and land at least one good one on
Malpry, just as soon as they landed.

Even before the first outward signs of damage appeared, the tree knew
that it had lost the battle against the typhoon. In the lull as the eye
of the storm passed over, it assessed the damage. There was no response
from the north-east quadrant of the sensory network where rootlets had
been torn from the rock face; the tap root itself seated now against
pulverized stone. While the almost indestructible fibre of the Yanda
tree had held firm, the granite had failed. The tree was doomed by its