"Murray Leinster - First Contact (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Leinster Murray)

them a fraction of an inch. WeтАЩ darenтАЩt! TheyтАЩve locators. Maybe theyтАЩve tracers better than any
we have. Maybe they could trace us all the way home without our knowing it! We canтАЩt risk a
nonhuman race knowing where Earth is unless weтАЩre sure of them! And how can we be sure? They could
come to trade, of courseтАФor they could swoop down on overdrive with a battle fleet,that could wipe
us out before we knew what happened. We wouldnтАЩt know which to expect, or when!тАЭ
TommyтАЩs face was startled.
тАЬItтАЩs all been thrashed out over and over, in theory,тАЭ said the skipper. тАЬNobodyтАЩs ever
been able to find a sound answer, even on paper. But you know, in all their theorizing, no one
considered the crazy, rank impossibility of a deep-space contact, with neither side knowing the
otherтАЩs home world! But weтАЩve got to find an answer in fact! What are we going to do about them?
Maybe these creatures will be aesthetic marvels, nice and friendly and politeтАФand, underneath,
with the sneaking brutal ferocity of a mugger. Or maybe theyтАЩll be crude and gruff as a farmerтАФand
just as decent underneath. Maybe theyтАЩre something in between. But am I going to risk the possible
future of the human race on a guess that itтАЩs safe to trust them? God knows it would be worthwhile
to make friends with a new civilization! It would be bound to stimulate our own, and maybe weтАЩd
gain enormously. But I canтАЩt take chances. The one thing I wonтАЩt risk is having them know how to
find Earth! Either I know they canтАЩt follow me, or 1 donтАЩt go home! And theyтАЩll probably feel the
same way!тАЭ
He pressed the sleeve-communicator button again.
тАЬNavigation officers, attention! Every star map on this ship is to be prepared for instant
destruction. This includes photographs and diagrams from which our course or starting point could
be deduced. I want all astronomical data gathered and arranged to be destroyed in a split second,
on order. Make it fast and report when ready!тАЭ
He released the button. He looked suddenly old. The first contact of humanity with an
alien race was a situation which had been foreseen in many fashions, but never one quite so
hopeless of solution as this. A solitary Earth-ship and a solitary alien, meeting in a nebula
which must be remote from the home planet of each. They might wish peace, but the line of conduct
which best prepared a treacherous attack was just the seeming of friendliness. Failure to be
suspicious might doom the human raceтАФand a peaceful exchange of the fruits of civilization would
be the greatest benefit imaginable. Any mistake would be irreparable, but a failure to be on guard
would be fatal.
The captainтАЩs room was very, very quiet. The bowquartering visiplate was filled with the
image of a very small section of the nebula. A very small section indeed. It was all diffused,
featureless, luminous mist. But suddenly Tommy Dort pointed.
тАЬThere, sir!"
There was a small shape in the mist. It was far away. It was a black shape, not polished
to mirror-reflection like the hull of the Lianvabon. It was bulbousтАФroughly pear-shaped. There was
much thin luminosity between, and no details could be observed, but it was surely no natural
object. Then Tommy looked at the distance indicator and said quietly:
тАЬItтАЩs headed for us at very high acceleration, sir. The odds are that theyтАЩre thinking the
same thing, sir, that neither of us will dare let the other go home. Do you think theyтАЩll try a
contact with us, or let loose with their weapons as soon as theyтАЩre in range?тАЭ
The Lianvabon was no longer in a crevasse of emptiness in the nebulaтАЩs thin substance. She
swam in luminescence. There were no stars save the two fierce glows in the nebulaтАЩs heart. There
was nothing but an allenveloping light, curiously like oneтАЩs imagining of underwater in the


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