" Perry Rhodan 0032 - (24) Infinity Flight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

meanwhile investigate this planet number threeтАФafter all itтАЩs the cause of all our latest troubles. Who
knows, we might end up with some advantageous business deals ourselves."

TopthorтАЩs mood changed abruptly. He said icily: "Bossiness deals for us are out of the question here,
Grogham. Not in this case! You donтАЩt seem to realize that we have encountered here for the first time
some serious competition. In hardly ten years this Rhodan has managed to create an interstellar power.
This formerly backward planet now disposes of a mighty fleet. Its ships are attacking us. This is an open
declaration of war. And why? We were only attempting to find out what they were up to."

"Not we," corrected Grogham, the pedant, "it was Orlgans. He seized two of RhodanтАЩs ships and tried
to pump his men for information. If you call that a friendly gestureтАж"

"Enough of that!" roared TopthorтАФand whenever this half ton colossus began to yell even the
videoscreens of far distant ships began to shake. No wonder then that Grogham grew scared. After all,
he was merely the commander of one of the ships which was part of TopthorтАЩs commercial and battle
fleet. "Do you really believe I am interested in such piddling details? Do you think I undertook this long
trip just to stick my nose in the affairs of other merchant clans, let alone to come to their assistance? If we
can turn a nice profit in this affair, that would be a plus factor, but so far neither Orlgans nor Etztak have
requested our aid, and they are obliged to pay only in case they have asked for help."

Grogham was dumbfounded. "Then what did we come here for? IтАЩve never known you to do something
without a compelling reasonтАж"

"ThatтАЩs a keen observation," praised Topthor. "I never do anything for nothing. All along IтАЩve followed
the reports of our robot spies, which as you might know have been put out of commission meanwhile, as
well as the reports of our station on the moon Titan. Rhodan would be no match for Etztak in case he
should resort to something he is still hesitant about, namely to request us or some other battle units to join
him in his fight against this upstart. Etztak canтАЩt make up his mind there because he knows it would cost
him a good deal of money. Meanwhile Rhodan is planning to get some superior weapons which would
enable him to defeat us, and in particular Etztak. And where do you think Rhodan is hoping to get such
weapons?"

Grogham was again at a loss.

"Then let me tell you," bragged a triumphant Topthor. "Ido know something about it. People talk about
the so-called Planet of Eternal Life with a certain amount of scepticism; there is a rumour that it might
exist but nobody actually knows if this legend is based on reality. I am convinced there is a kernel of truth
hidden in every legendary taleтАФtherefore this must apply also to this story."

"The Planet of Eternal Life!" mumbled a still incredulous Grogham. "IтАЩve heard of it. ItтАЩs supposed to
wander somewhere in the depths of the cosmos along its erratic course but no one has ever found it. just
a fairy taleтАж"

"No fairy tale!" shouted Topthor furiously. "Do you assume in all earnestness Rhodan would chase a
phantom now that his survival is at stake? I have reliable information that Rhodanknows where this
legendary planet can be found. He knows its co-ordinates. And he is planning to go there in order to
obtain new weapons. And if he should succeed that would mean the end of our position of superiority in
this galaxy. But if we beat him to it, it will mean a fabulous business deal for us."
"Is Etztak informed of RhodanтАЩs plans?"