" Perry Rhodan - Atlan 01 - Spider Desert" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

In the seat behind me, the chretkor monstrosity stirred uncomfortably. тАЬItтАЩs hot in here?тАЭ he grumbled.
тАЬAt this temperature IтАЩm liable to melt away.тАЭ

I could not suppress a grin as I thought of the creature we had nicknamed тАЬIce Claw.тАЭ His fear of
extremes of heat and cold had become almost pathological. However, I did him the favour of increasing
the air-conditioning, although at the start of our trip he'd complained about the low temperature and I had
turned up the heat.

тАЬIs that to your liking, noble sir?тАЭ I inquired sarcastically.

тАЬThanks, Atlan?тАЭ said Ice Claw, without taking issue over my tone of voice. тАЬI can feel my bodily
structure returning to a solid state.тАЭ

Suddenly a sand dune loomed ahead that reached almost to the silvery net above.

тАЬGo around it?тАЭ said Fratulon.

But I only laughed. тАЬThe rover will have that dune for breakfast!тАЭ

We reached the towering obstruction and I cut in the suction jets. Mounted laterally on the exterior of
the caterpillar treads, they served chiefly to clear away such dunes as this. I throttled down our speed
while the suction jets began to howl and pull down the slope before us. The sand was conducted through
a system of tubes to the rear of the rover where it was then ejected by blowers.

Suddenly there was a tinkling sound and the jet howl became a thundering roar, causing the
dune-rover to vibrate.

тАЬWhatтАЩs that!?тАЭ I cried out in astonishment, glancing questioningly at Fratulon.

However, before I could get an answer from him I saw through the pall of powdery sand dust ahead
and made out several shadowy figures approaching our machine. And then I knew: the sand dune was a
trap set up by the desert dwellers.

Without much further deliberation I backed up the rover, withdrawing completely from the dune.
Turning at a 90 degree angle I moved away at high speed. However, I had hardly emerged from the haze
of dust before another dune loomed directly in our path. Managing just barely to avoid it I accidentally
ran down a desert dweller who had suddenly appeared in front of the tractor. His wide cloak spread out
and fluttered momentarily and I saw his tortured face quite plainly before he disappeared under the
ponderous treads. The rover rolled over him as we reached an open area. Ahead of us were no further
obstacles. But I sped onward as though pursued by all the demons of the nether worlds.

тАЬYou can slow down now?тАЭ said Fratulon. тАЬThe danger is past.тАЭ
 I dropped speed and gave him an angry glance. тАЬWhy didnтАЩt you warn me before?тАЭ I asked irritably.
тАЬYou knew the dune was a trap set up by the desert dwellers. You must have known they'd hide a lot of
junk in the sand so as to foul up our suction jets. Why didnтАЩt you draw it to my attention?тАЭ

тАЬI thought you'd recognize the trap on your own?тАЭ answered Fratulon calmly.

Although he did not speak reproachfully I nevertheless took it as an admonishment. тАЬAlright?тАЭ I said,
тАЬI didnтАЩt see it as a trap right away, but when the situation became critical I reacted properly. Without