" Perry Rhodan 0012 - (06) The Secret of The Time Vault" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

had come into the room. She too was tall and had whitish hair that contrasted
strangely with the delicate tan of her lovely complexion. Her eyes were
shining golden-red and flashed in a mixture of icy contempt and quiet
admiration. It was just this strange m├йlange of her feelings that continuously
attracted Perry Rhodan to this beautiful alien woman. They had grown closer
during the past few years since first they met. Yet they had never been
completely able to bridge the abyss that time and space had created between
them. Millennia of decades and more than 30,000 light-years lay between them.
But Rhodan already felt appreciative that she had come to regard humanity as
thinking beings and no longer wild primitives that should be destroyed, as she
had done at first. However, Rhodan recognized the new danger that lurked
behind that beautiful face. Thora had become their ally for one reason only:
the Earthlings were supposed to assist her in finding a way to return to her
home planet Arkon. And this moment she had so longed for had now arrived, for
the Stardust II, the Arkonide battleship Rhodan had captured from the enemy,
was the spaceship that could carry her back to Arkon. 'I doubt that I'm
overly optimistic, Thora,' Rhodan replied calmly, looking straight into her
reddish-golden eyes. 'Certainly, I admit that I was quite worried before we
dared the hyperjump through the fifth dimension. But we succeeded. And we
shall return via the same route, but this time well armed. The Topides won't
find an opportunity to attack Earth. They don't even know where Earth is
located in the universe.' 'Still, you must admit that you're in a bad spot,'
she said with an odd lurking note in her otherwise melodious voice. 'Mankind
has hardly ventured out into space and you encounter undreamt-of obstacles. In
the course of a few years you've already met four extraterrestrial intelligent
races. You managed to ward off a dangerous invasion of your home planet only
with the help of our powerful weapons. And now Vega! For the first time,
Earthlings interfere with interstellar affairs and enter an area that so far
belonged exclusively to the Arkonides. Do you think that is right of
you?' 'Of course I think we're right to act this way. I wonder what the
degenerate Arkonide race would have done in my place? You weren't even capable
of lifting your crash-landed cruiser off the moon again! We had to come to
your assistance, Earthlings that had for the first time reached the moon in a
liquid fuel driven primitive rocket. Don't forget that when you speak of the
present conditions. If we hadn't rescued you from the moon you probably would
still be sitting there whiling the time away by watching senseless abstract
patterns on a picture screen.' Khrest stepped over to Thora and put his hand
on her shoulder. 'You shouldn't talk this way, Thora. We and Rhodan are
friends, allies in a battle against a hostile world. He's helped us the same
way we helped him. If ever we see Arkon again one day, we'll have to thank him
for it.' For a moment Thora stood motionless next to the entrance, then she
lowered her eyes. As many a time previously she gave up the fight against
Rhodan. This man's will was stronger than hers. But it was not only the power
of logical reasoning that told her so; there was something else besides. They
had long since crossed Saturn's orbit. Jupiter became visible at the side and
soon disappeared behind them. But not until they had reached the orbital path
of the planet Mars did the Stardust II diminish her speed. Perry Rhodan
prepared the ship for a landing on Earth. The first radio messages were
exchanged. Colonel Freyt, who had been in charge of the Third Power's affairs
during Perry Rhodan's absence, confirmed the receipt of the hyperwave