"Barry Longyear - Circusworld 2 - Elephant song" - читать интересную книгу автора (Longyear Barry)

crazy."

"There'll be air soon."

Another shape joined the one holding the lamp. "Mother Machree, but it's the hell of Hartford down
there," The voice belonged to Pony Red Miira, boss animal man. "Waxy, why'd you put out the call?"


file:///F|/rah/Barry%20Longyear/Longyear,%20B...us%20World%202%20-%20Elephant%20Song%20UC.txt (3 of 135) [2/2/03 11:51:57 PM]
 file:///F|/rah/Barry%20Longyear/Longyear,%20Barry%20-%20Circus%20World%202%20-%20Elephant%20Song%20UC.txt


The one holding the lamp pointed at Bullhook. "The boss elephant man."

Pony Red moved next to Bullhook and placed a hand on the boss elephant man's shoulder. "Are you
all right? The last time I saw you the back of your skull was caved in."

"I'm on my feet. We're down. We got to get the lead stock out of here. Why aren't the bay doors
open?"

The boss animal man shook his head. "The last I heard from the crew back there, the doors were
jammed. They can't get to the control mat blows the damn doors off because of the bulls. Two of
'em are loose in the runs tearing up the place. Now we can't raise the aft crew at all."

Bullhook rubbed his eyes. "The carrousel. Can it still rotate?"

"Sure, butтАФ"

"Get some lights on and move tube number one to the bottom, facing the doors. I'll get 'em open."

Pony Red shook Bullhook's shoulder. "You can't get through any of the tubes; especially number
one. Six of the eight bulls in there have broken loose. We're trying now to get a crew around to
open the doors from the outside."

Bullhook began to pull himself down the companionway.

"Dammit, Pony, if they won't open from the inside, they sure as hell can't be opened from the
outside. Not in time. Just get tube number one facing the doors. I'll get through." "Why number
one?" "Ming is in number one."

Bullhook walked between the two men and felt his way down the corridor until he reached the port
to the main bay. He pulled himself through, ignored the elevator, and began working his way down
the access ladder. Half of the way down nausea and dizziness washed over him as the pain in his
head flashed lights before his eyes. He hung onto the ladder, resting his cheek against one of its
cleated rungs. The smoke covered him like a hot blanket; the screams from the animals numbed his
ears.

Crying. Just barely audible, there was crying among the screams. Lights went on in the access
tube, turning the blackness into a dark gray pall. Bullhook Willy lowered himself another rung,
then another, until he stood on the lower deck access compartment to the main carrousel. The air