"Andre Norton - Ross Murdock 04 - Key Out Of Time" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

steady the novice Ross.
"The general outline of these two islands could stand for the capes on
this--" He pulled a second map, this on transparent plastic, to fit over the
first. The capes marked on the much larger body of land did slip over the
modern islands with a surprising fit. Shattered and broken, the former land
mass could have produced the groups of atolls and islets they now
prospected.
"How long--" Karara mused aloud, "and why?"
Ashe shrugged. "Ten thousand years, five, two." He shook his head. "We have
no idea. It's apparent that there must have been some world-wide cataclysm
here to change the geography so much. We may have to wait on a return space
flight to bring a 'copter or a hydroplane to explore farther." His hand
swept beyond the boundaries of the map to indicate the whole of Hawaika.
"A year, maybe two, before we could hope for that," Ross cut in. "Then we'll
have to depend on whether the Council believes this is important enough."
The contrariness which spiked his tongue whenever Karara was present made
him say that without thinking. Then a twitch of Ashe's lips brought home
Ross's error. Gordon needed reassurance now, not a recitation of the various
ways their mission could be doomed.
"Look here!" Ross came to the table, his hand sweeping past Karara, as he
used his forefinger for a pointer. "We know that what we want could be
easily overlooked, even with the dolphins helping us to check. This whole
area's too big. And you know that it is certain that whatever might be down
there would be hidden with sea growths. Suppose ten of us start out in a
semi-circle from about here and go as far as this point, heading inland.
Video-cameras here and here . . . comb the whole sector inch by inch if we
have to. After all, we have plenty of time and manpower."
Karara laughed softly. "Manpower--always manpower, Ross? But there is
woman-power, too. And we have perhaps even sharper sight. But this is a good
idea, Gordon. Let me see--" she began to tell off names on her fingers,
"PaKeeKee, Vaeoha, Hori, Liliha, Taema, Ui, Hono'ura--they are the best in
the water. Me . . . you, Gordon, Ross. That makes ten with keen eyes to
look, and always there are Tino-rau and Taua. We will take supplies and camp
here on this island which looks so much like a finger crooked to beckon.
Yes, somehow that beckoning finger seems to me to promise better fortune.
Shall we plan it so?"
Some of the tight look was gone from Ashe's face, and Ross relaxed. This was
what Gordon needed--not to be sitting in here going over maps, reports,
reworking over and over their scant leads. Ashe had always been a field man.
The settlement work had been a dismal chore for him. When Karara had gone
Ross dropped down on the bunk against the side wall.
"What did happen here, do you think?" Half was real interest in the mystery
they had mulled over and over since they had landed on a Hawaika which
diverged so greatly from the maps; the other half, a desire to keep Ashe
thinking on a subject removed from immediate worries. "A nuclear war?"
"Could be. There are old radiation traces. But these aliens had, I'm sure,
progressed beyond nuclear weapons. Suppose, just suppose, they could tamper
with the weather, with the balance of the planet's crust? We don't know the
extent of their powers, how they would use them. They had a colony here
once, or there would have been no guide tape. And that is all we are sure