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

good thing, no animals in this damned woods bigger than a mouse. A hell
of a place. He'd have to watch his step; it wouldn't do to get lost in
here ...
The velvety wall of the half buried trunk loomed, as dense growth gave
way suddenly to a clear stretch. Malpry stopped, breathing hard. He got
out his sodden handkerchief, staring up at the black wall. A ring of
dead-white stalks sprouted from the dead tree. Nearby were other
growths, like snarls of wiry black seaweed, and ropy looking things,
dangling--
Malpry backed away, snarling. Some crawling disease, some kind of
filthy fungus--But--
Malpry stopped. Maybe this was what he was looking for. Sure, this was
what those pictures in the book showed. This was where the dran was.
But he didn't know it would look like some creeping-
"Stop, Malpryl"
Malpry whirled.
"Don't be so ... stupid " Pantelle was gasping for breath. There was
a bruise on his jaw. "Let me rest... Talk to you ..."
"Die, you gutter-scraping, Have a nice long rest. But don't muck with
me." Malpry turned his back on Pantelle, unlimbered the blaster.
Pantelle grabbed up a broken liinb, slammed it across Malpry's head.
The rotten wood snapped. Malpry staggered, recovered. He turned, his
face livid; a trickle of blood ran down.
"All right, Creep," he grated. Pantelle came to him, swung a whistling
right, arm bent awkwardly. Malpry lunged, and Pantelle's elbow caught
him across the jaw. His eyes went glassy, he sagged, fell, to his hands
and knees. Pantelle laughed aloud.
Malpry shook his head, breathing hoarsely, got to his feet. Pantelle
took aim and hit him solidly on the jaw. The blow seemed to clear
Malpry's head. He slapped a second punch aside, knocked Pantelle full-
length with a backhanded blow. He dragged Pantelle to his feet, swung a
hard left and right. Pantelle bounced, lay still. Malpry stood over
him, rubbing his jaw.
He stirred Pantelle with his foot. Maybe the Creep was dead. Laying his
creeping hands on Malpry. Gafiilt wouldn't like it, but the Creep had
started it. Sneaked up and hit him from behind. He had the mark to
prove it. Anyway, the news about the dran would cheer Gault up. Better
go get Gault up here. Then they could cut the dran out and get away
from this creeping planet Let the Creep bleed.
Malpry turned back toward the ship, leaving Pantelle huddled beside the
fallen tree.

The Yanda craned external oculi to study the fallen creature, which had
now apparently entered a dormant phase. A red exudation oozed from
orifices at the upper end, and from what appeared to be breaks in the
epidermis. It was a strange creature, bearing some superficial
resemblance to the familiar host-creatures. Its antics, and those of
the other, were curious indeed. Perhaps they were male and female, and
the encounter had been a mating. Possibly this hibernation was normal
process, preparatory to rooting. If only it were not so alien, it might