"Leinster, Murray - The Fifth-Dimension Tube UC" - читать интересную книгу автора (Leinster Murray)

Pursuit was still in progress. Here and there, through the city, the sound of isolated combats still went on. Denham came down from his tower, looking rather sick as he saw the carnage about him. A strong escort brought Evelyn. Aten was grinning proudly, as though he had in person defeated the enemy. And as Evelyn shakingly put out her hand to touch TommyТs armЧ it was only later that he realized he had been wounded in half a dozen minor waysЧa shadow roared over their heads. The crackle of firearms came from it.
УJacaro!Ф snarled Tommy. He leaped instinctively to pursue. But the flying thing was bound for a landing in an open square, the same one which not long since had seen the heaviest fighting. It alighted there and toppled askew on contact.
Figures tumbled out of it, in torn and ragged garments fashioned in the style of the very best tailors of the EarthТs underworld. -
Men of Yugna raced to intercept them. Firearms spat and bellowed luridly. In a close-knit, flame-spitting group, the knot of men raced over fallen bodies and hurtled areas where the pavement had cooled to no more than a dull-red heat where a thermit shell had struck. One man, two, three men fell under the small-arms fire. The gangsters went racing on, firing desperately. They dived into a tunnel and disappeared.

УFf1 HE Tube!Ф roared Smithers. УTheyТ goinТ for the J_ Tube!Ф
He plunged forward, and Tommy seized his arm.
УTheyТll go through your Tube,Ф he said curtly. УIt looks like the one they came through. TheyТll think it is. Let Сem!Ф
Smithers tried to tear free.
УBut theyТll get back to Earth!Ф he raged. УTheyТll get off clear!Ф
The sharp, cracking sound of a gun-cotton explosion came out of the doorway into which Jacaro and his men had dived. Tommy smiled very grimly indeed.
УTheyТve gone through,Ф he said drily, Уand theyТve blown up the Tube behind them. ButЧI didnТt tell youЧI took a look at your castings. Your pupils were putting them together, ready for the steam to go in, in place of the coils I used. ButЧerЧ Smithers! YouТd discarded one pair of castings. They didnТt satisfy you. Your pupils forgot that. They hooked them all together.Ф
Smithers gulped.
УInstead of four right-angled bends,Ф said Tommy grimly, Уyou have six connected together. You turned on the steam in a hurry, not noticing. And I donТt know how many series of dimensions there are in this universe of ours. We know of two. There may be any number. But Jacaro and his men didnТt go back to Earth. God only knows where they landed, or what itТs like. Maybe somewhere a million miles in space. Nobody knows. The main thing is that Earth is safe now. The Death Mist has faded out of the picture.Ф
He turned and smiled warmly at Evelyn. He was a rather
horrible sight just then, though he did not know it. He was bloody and burned and wounded. He ignored all matters but success, however.
УI think,Ф he said drily, Уwe have won the confidence of the Golden City, Evelyn, and that thereТll be no more talk of gassing Earth. As soon as the Council meets again, weТll make sure. And thenЧwell, I think we can devote a certain amount of time to our personal affairs. You are the first Earth-girl to be kissed in the Fifth Dimension. WeТll have to see if you canТt distinguish yourself further.Ф

AGAIN the Council hall in the tower of government in the Golden City of Yugna. Again the queer benches about the black wood tableЧthough two of the seats that had been occupied were now empty. Again the guards behind the chairs, and the crowd of watchersЧvisitors, citizens of Yugna attending the deliberations of the Council. The audience was a queer one, this time. There were bandages here and there. There were men who were wounded, broken, bent and crippled in the fighting. But a warmly welcoming murmur spread through the hall as Tommy came in, himself rather extensively patched. He was wearing the tunic and breeches of the Golden City, because his own clothes were hopelessly beyond repair. The bearded old Councilor gathered the eyes of his fellows. They rose. The Council seated itself as one man.
Quiet, placid formalities. The Keeper of Foodstuffs murmured that the ransom paid to Rahn had been recaptured after the fight. The Keeper of Rolls reported with savage satisfaction the number of enemies who had been slain in battle. He added that the loss to Yugna was less than one man to ten of the enemy. And he added with still greater emphasis that the shops being fitted with automatic controls had released nowЧit had grown so muchЧtwo thousand men from the necessary day-and-night working force, and further releases were to be expected. The demands of the machines were lessened already beyond the memory of man. Eyes turned to Tommy. There was an expectant pause for his reply.

У have been Commander of Defense Forces,Ф he told them slowly, Уin this fighting. I have given you weapons. My
two friends have done more. The machines will need fewer and fewer attendants as the hints they have given you are developed by yourselves. And there is some hope that one of my friends may show you, in ultra-sonic vibrations, a weapon against the jungle itself. My own work is finished. But I ask again for friendship for my planet Earth. I ask that no war be made on my own people. I ask that what benefits you receive from us be passed to the other surviving cities on the same terms. And since there can be no further fighting on this scale, I give back my commission as Commander of Defense.Ф
There was a little murmur among the men of Yugna, looking on. It rose to a protesting babble, to a shout of denial. The bearded old Keeper of Foodstuffs smiled.
Уit is proposed that the appointment as Commander of Defense Forces be permanent,Ф he said mildly.
He produced the queer black box and touched it in a certain fashion. He passed it to the next man, and the next and next. It went around the table. It passed a second time, but this time each man merely looked at the top.
УYou command the defense forces of Yugna for always,Ф said the bearded old man, gently. УNow give orders that your requests become laws.Ф

TOMMY stared blankly. He was suddenly aware of Aten in the background, smiling triumphantly and very happily at him. There was something like a roar of approval from the men of Yugna, assembled.
УJust what,Ф demanded Tommy, Уdoes this mean?Ф
УFor many years,Ф said a hawk-faced man ungraciously, Уwe have had no Commander of Defense. We have had no wars. But we see it is needful. We have chosen you, with all agreeing. The Commander of DefenseФЧhe sniffed a little, pugnaciously
ЧУhas the authority the ancient kings once owned.Ф
Tommy leaned back in the curious benchlike chair, his eyes narrow and thoughtful. This would simplify matters. No danger of trouble to Earth. A free hand for Denham and Smithers to help these folk, and for Denham to learn scientific factsЧin the sciences they had developedЧwhich would be of inestimable value to Earth. And it could be possible to open a peaceful
traffic with the nations of Earth without any danger of war. And maybe . .
He smiled suddenly. It widened almost into a grin. УAll right. IТll settle down here for a while. ButЧerЧjust how does one set about getting married here?Ф