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

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"well?" Ross's glance swept over Travis, settled on Ashe.
"Anybody know you were coming here?" the older man asked the range rider.
"I came out to check all the springs. If I don't return to the ranch within a reasonable time, they'll hunt
me up, yes." Travis saw no reason to enlarge upon that with two other bits

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GALACTIC DERELICT

of information. One, that Whelan would not be unduly alarmed if he did not return within twenty-
four hours, and the other that he was supposed to be in the brakes to the south.
"You say that you know Prentiss Morgan--how well?" "I was in one of his classes at the
U--for a while." "Your name?" "Fox. Travis Fox."
The com operator cut in, again consulting his map. "The Double A belongs to a Fox--"
"My brother. But I work for him, that's all."
"Grant"--Ashe turned now to the com man--"mark this top priority and send it to Kelgarries. Ask
him to check Fox-all the way."
"We can ship him out when the first load comes in, chief. They will store him at headquarters as long
as you want," Ross offered, as if Travis had ceased to be a person and was now only an annoying
problem.
Ashe shook his head. "Look here, Fox, we don't want to make it hard for you. It's pure bad luck that
you trailed in here today. Frankly, we can't afford to attract any attention to our activities at present.
But if you'll give me your word not to try and go over the hill, well leave it at that for the present."
The last thing Travis wanted to do was leave. His curiosity was thoroughly aroused, and he had no
intention of going unless they removed him bodily. And that, he promised him-self silently, would
take a lot of doing. "It's a deal."
But Ashe was already on another track. "You say you did some digging over there. What did you
uncover?"
"The usual stuff--pottery, a few arrowheads. The site is probably pre-Columbian. These mountains
are filled with such ruins."
"What did you expect, chief?" Ross asked.
"Well, there was a slim chance," the other returned ambigu-

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