"Jack McKinney - Robotech Sentientals 4 - World Killers" - читать интересную книгу автора (McKinney Jack)

Max returned to the pilot's seat and handled the touchdown with an
assist from Colonel Wolff. Cabell and Sarna looked on. Haydon Control had
directed them to a landing stage in the middle of the city, one of a number of
platforms of smoky blue glass sprouting from a central tower.
A reception committee had already appeared to meet them, standing
together on a flying carpet that hovered a few yards above the landing
surface. As Vince, Max, and Wolff opened the hatch, the carpet floated toward
them and stopped a foot or so off the platform.
As had been agreed, Veidt and Sarna went first to greet the half-dozen
Haydonites waiting on the carpet-or, more precisely, floating just off it.
Jonathan Wolff took advantage of the moment to look the flying carpet over.
The carpet was thicker than the ones from the tales. It resembled an
undulating judo mat, yet it was textured and decorated with exotic, iridescent
patterns. It was vaguely rectangular, but he could see that it tended to shift
and change conformation. Moreover, the other carpets, sailing around over the
city came in many shapes and dimensions, from one-passenger welcome mats to
dance-floor-size.
Veidt and Sarna exchanged ritualistic and dignified bows with their
people. Since Haydonites lacked arms as well as faces-and legs too, Wolff
supposed (although nobody he knew of had ever gotten a look under those
hovering robe hems to find out what was underneath them)-the whole ceremony
had a reserved, inhuman look to it.
Wolff found that he could tell the males and females apart. The
Haydonite men's faces had angular planes, and saucer-size, gemlike things
displayed on their robes.
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.