"McCay, Bill - Stargate Rebellion" - читать интересную книгу автора (McCay Bill)

worse had been the innocent civilians butchered as the flying udajeet
had blasted the city of Nagada from the air. Between his days of labor
and his work at night learning hieroglyphics, he had more than enough
activity to take up even the energies of youth. Yet even his studies
spurred restlessness. Translating the wall paintings of Nagada's hidden
archives gave more tales of Ra's tyranny, and tantalizing clues about
other worlds ruled over by the false god. What, for instance, had
happened on Ombos after cat-headed Hathor had covered that planet in
blood? Even the wise Daniel could offer no information. Slowly as his
studies progressed, Skaara also developed a desire to see these worlds
on the other side of the StarGate, to tell their peoples that Ra was no
more-to join with these star-brothers and fight for freedom as the
inhabitants of Abydos had done. He hadn't discussed these inchoate
aspirations with his father, the Elder Kasuf, with Sha'uri, or with
Daniel. But when he'd sounded out his shepherd friends, his fellow
veterans of the war against Rathe response was resoundingly affirmative.
So a new activity had been added to his schedule. In whatever spare
time remained after shepherding and studying, Skaara and his mates
practiced the arts of war. They drilled themselves in the arts of
concealment, in quick, darting movement under simulated fire. They
experimented with various weapons, and zealously worked to maintain the
few rifles and pistols the visitors from Earth had left behind. Skaara
had organized a careful scavenging operation in the ruins of the
visitors' base camp. The search had been rewarded when several boxes of
rifle ammunition turned up. And night and day, as an exercise in war and
discipline, Skaara detailed a few members from his shepherds' complement
to keep watch on the pyramid that housed the StarGate. Thus, when the
sudden chatter of a rifle on automatic echoed over the dunes, Skaara
wasn't exactly surprised. A gunshot was supposed to be the signal that
new visitors had arrived. But Skaara wasn't pleased. The signal was
supposed to be a single gunshot. He would have some choice words for
the watchers about wasting ammunition. Unless ... what if the visitors
weren't friendly and the watchers were defending themselves? Skaara had
a sickening vision of Horus guards pouring from the carved entrance arch
of the pyramid. He'd dreamed of taking freedom out to the other planets
of Ra's empire. Suppose one of Ra's lieutenants had come to Abydos with
the intention of restoring despotism? He snapped an order to the others,
and in an instant shepherd boys became warriors. They all carried
whatever weapons they could. Now, abandoning the mastadges, they formed
a rough skirmish line and headed for the watch point, a tall sand dune
that commanded a view of the rocky outcrop that supported the pyramid.
Skaara carefully deployed his men, rifles at the flanks, as they climbed
to the crest of the dune. They might be able to get a few shots at the
invaders. But when they reached the watchers, they found a pair of madly
capering boys. "Skaara!" shouted Nabeh, pointing into the distance
beyond the dune's face. "They're back! They've come back!" Skaara threw
himself on his belly, slipping another treasure from Earth out of his
cloak. O'Neil had given him the pair of black, compact binoculars
before leaving Abydos. As Skaara focused on the THREE figures sliding
down the escarpment to the sands below, he saw that Nabeh's eyesight and