"Norton, Andre - Redline the stars" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

magic he hoped to wield among the denizens of the planets

he visited.

The level to which they now came was the most interest-
ing of all to Cofort. Here was the sick bay, Doctor Tau's
surgery and laboratory, and the hydro, the large chamber
housing the plants that replenished a starship's oxygen,

Redllne the Stars 37

scrubbed the waste products of respiration from the con-
tinuously recirculated air, and supplied as a by-product
fruits and vegetables to vary the otherwise monotonous
diet of concentrates that was the nearly perpetual lot of
space hounds who ranged the vast reaches between the
stars.

The portal giving entrance to it was partly transparent,
and they paused for a moment to admire the lush greenery
within.

"So much!" she exclaimed. "And such variety! -- I
thought you were forced to flush it all out when you picked
up those Sargol pests."

"We did. Mr. Mura's worked hard to bring it back."

Dane took a deep breath as he opened the door, savoring
as always the crisp freshness of growing things. Every-
where else, the ship's air was stale, processed stuff. Here,
it was alive.

Feeling something brush against his leg, he glanced
down. A large, orange-striped tomcat had slipped in be-
hind them and was rubbing him in the traditional greeting
of his kind before turning his attention to the newcomer.

Cofort lightly lowered herself to her knees. "Hello, big
boy," she said softly as she offered him her hand to sniff.
"You're the Chief of Pest Control, I presume?"

"He is," Thorson confirmed. "This is Sinbad, an honored
member of the crew."

"Rightly so." She shuddered. "I shouldn't care to voyage
far on any ship lacking a good cat."

"You won't find too many who'd give you an argument
on that," he agreed.