"Norton, Andre - Galactic Derelict" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

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What kind of a plant? wondered Travis. Apparently he was

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being drafted, but he wanted to know more about why and for what. He said so with determination
and then believed he wasn't hearing correctly when Ashe answered. "We're here to see the Folsom
hunters' world." "That's a tall order, Doctor Ashe. You've a super Vis-Tex if you can take a peek ten
thousand years back."
"More likely farther than that," Ashe corrected him. "We aren't sure yet."
"Why the hush-hush? A look at some roaming primitive tribe should bring out the TV and the
newsmen--"
"We're more interested in other things than primitive tribesmen."
"Such as where that gun came from," agreed Ross. He was again rubbing his scarred hand, and there
was that in the bleakness of his eyes which Travis recognized from their first meeting on the rim of
the canyon. It was the look of a fighter moving in to give battle.
"You'll have to take us on faith for a while," Ashe cut in. "This is a queer business and a necessarily
top-secret one, to use the patter of our times."
They ate supper and Travis moved the pinto to the narrow lower end of the canyon, well away from the
improvised land-ing field. Dusk had hardly closed in before the first of the cargo 'copters touched
down. Soon he found himself making one of a line of men passing packages and boxes from the
machine back to the shelter of the small grove of trees. They worked without any waste motion at a
speed which sug-gested that time was of the hightest importance, and Travis found that he had caught
that need for haste from them. The first machine was stripped of its load, rose, and was gone only
minutes before a second one came in to take its place. Again an unloading chain formed, this time for
heavier boxes which required two men to handle them.
Travis' back ached, his hands were raw by the time the fourth 'copter was freed and left. Four more men
had joined

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their party, one coming in with each load, but there was little talk. All were concentrating on the
unloading and storing of the material. In a period of lull after the departure of the fourth machine, Ashe
came up to Travis accompanied by another man.
"Here he is." Ashs's hand closed on Travis' shoulder, draw-ing him out to face the newcomer.
He was taller than Dr. Ashe, and there was no mistaking the air of command, or the power of those
eyes which looked Straight into the Apache. But after a long moment the big man smiled briefly.
"You're quite a problem for us, Fox."
"Or the missing ingredient," corrected Ashe. "Fox, this is Major Kelgarries, at present our commanding
officer."
"Well have a talk later," Kelgarries promised. "Tonight's rather busy."

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