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

that oiling their tanned, or naturally dark, skins took on the leathery, uniform brownness of men who
wore very little clothing in any kind of weather.

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GALACTIC DERELICT

Ashe and Ross had been provided with contact lenses so that their eyes were now as dark brown as
Travis'. And th'eir closely cropped hair was hidden under finely made wigs of straggling, coarse black
locks which fell shoulder-length at the sides and descended as a pony's mane between their shoulder
blades.
Then each took his turn flat on his back while the make-up artist, working from film charts, proceeded
to supply his victims with elaborate patterns of simulated tatoos, marking chests, upper arms, chins,
and upper cheekbones. Travis, undergoing the process, studied Ashe, who now represented the
finished product. Had he not seen all the steps in that transformation, he would not have guessed that
under that savage shell now existed Dr. Gordon Ashe.
"Glad we're allowed sandals," the same savage commented as he tightened the thongs which held
about him a combina-tion loincloth-kilt of crudely dressed hide.
Ross had just thrust his bare feet into a pair of such primi-tive footwear. "Let's hope they'll stay on if
we have to scramble, chief," he said, eying them dubiously.
Finished at last, the three stood in line to be checked by the make-up man and Kelgarries. The Major
carried some furred skins over his arm, and now he tossed one to each of the disguised men.
"Better hold on to those. It gets cold where you're going. All right--the 'copter's waiting."
Travis slung a hide pouch over his shoulder and gathered up the three spears he had headed with
pseudo-Folsom points. All the men were armed with the same weapons and there was a supply bag for
each man.
The 'copter took them up and out, swinging away from the Canyon of the Hohokam into a wide sweep
of desert land, bringing them down again before a carefully camouflaged installation. Kelgarries gave
Ashe his last instructions.

GALACTIC DERELICT

"Take a day--two if you have to. Make a circle about five miles out, if you can. The rest is up to you."
Ashe nodded. "Can do. We'll signal in as soon as we can give an 'all clear.' "
The concealed structure housed a pile of material and an inner erection of four walls, one floor, no
roof. Together the three agents crowded into that, watched the panel slide to behind them, while a
radiance streamed up around their bodies. Travis felt a tingling through bone and muscle, and then a
stab which was half panic as the breath 'was squeezed from his lungs by a weird wrenching that twisted
his insides. But he kept his feet, held on to his spears. There was a second or two of blackness. Then
once again he gulped air, shook himself as he might have done climbing out of strong river current.

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Ross's dot-bordered lips curved in a smile and he signaled "thumbs up" with his scarred hand.
"End of run--here we go. . . ."