"Jack McKinney - Robotech 16 - World Killers" - читать интересную книгу автора (McKinney Jack)

The leader of the welcoming committee was a male, taller and more slender than Veidt. He
had a bulging cranium and a deep coppery tone to his skin. A shimmering symbol like a star
sapphire's light shone from the center of his forehead. "So, Veidt, you return to bring your
disturbances among us yet again?"
But it was Sarna who answered. "You know better than that, Vowad! Our friends are gravely
ill, and only Haydonite science can save them! You know the Law; we're obligated to help."
The one called Vowad made an irritated sound. "Yes, yes-and if it hadn't been this excuse,
it would have been some other, eh?"
The others behind Vowad shifted uneasily, and one of them intervened. "Enough! If lives
are in jeopardy, it is best the healing begin at once."
Wolff wasn't so sure he liked what he had heard, and he didn't know if he wanted to stake
his life on the Haydonites' good graces, but it was too late to back out. He surreptitiously made
sure the conventional weapons he had concealed under his clothes were secure, and regretted that
it was impossible to carry Protoculture weapons due to these planetary defenses everybody kept
talking about.
Sarna turned to the humans waiting by the foot of the shuttle's ramp. "Bring them forth.
We go to the Halls of Healing immediately!"
Jean Grant operated a small remote unit. The automated med gurneys on which Rick and the
others had been secured rolled forth. Vince was going to ask how the wheeled gurneys were going to
get up onto the flying carpet when a part of it extended like an upholstered tongue, at a gentle
incline, like a ramp. Max walked at his wife's side.
Once Vince had secured the ship, he joined Wolff, Jean, and the rest on the flying carpet.
It didn't give under his considerable weight and felt stable. More like a flying cloud than a
flying carpet, he thought.
At some invisible command, it rose and wafted away over the city. Though there was no
fairing or windshield, the humans felt only a vague stirring of air-despite the fact that the
carpet was traveling quite rapidly.
They looked down on a city busy with commerce and trade. As Veidt and Sarna had explained
it, Glike was similar to the old-time Hong Kong. It was a place of enforced truce, immune to the
military conflicts that had raged around it.
As the others gazed, enraptured, at the soaring beauty and exquisite elegance of Glike,
Sarna went over to Max. "You look tired, Maximilian. You must rest. Won't you be seated?"
He looked around as she gestured with a nod of her head, and saw that the carpet's surface
had bunched up to make a kind of lounge chair just his size. He had no idea how she had done that.
Heaven knew he was exhausted, but all he could think of was Miriya; he refused to leave
her side. Max gestured toward Veidt and the other Haydonites, now deep in conversation with
Cabell, no doubt discussing medical procedures.
"That guy-what's his name, Vowad? Why's he so angry at Veidt?"
Sarna looked at them. "Vowad believes, as many do, that we can coexist with the Invid
indefinitely. That any concession we make, any appeasement, is worth it. You already know how my
husband and I feel. When Veidt insisted on making his opinions known, the Invid managed to kidnap
us both."
Max felt sudden misgiving. "But-the Invid can't attack you here, isn't that what you told
us? The planet's defenses would react."


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Sarna inclined her head, a strange gesture from one who had no eyes and only contours