" Perry Rhodan 0080 - (72) Caves of the Druufs" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

1/ PRISONERS OF THE DRUUFS



THE THING looked like an organ. It consisted of metal cylinders which were rigidly connected and
decreased in size from right to left. The thing stood against the wall and seemed to be there for no
purpose other than to bewilder the four prisoners.

For three days it had been accomplishing this task. Then the prisoners had begun to regard it with more
than mere contemplative attention. They had attempted to take it apart and had succeeded to a certain
degree. Now, at this moment, Perry Rhodan was kneeling in front of one of the opened organ pipes,
wondering what would happen if he were to press the little lever that protruded from the tangle of wires,
glass rods, plastic bars and thumbwheels.

Not that he had any choice in regard to the lever. They had worked hard to open a few of the organ
pipes and after all that work it would have been ridiculous to stop now, just because no one knew which
effect it triggered.

Perry Rhodan looked around. Behind him Atlan the Arkonide, Reginald Bell and the mutant Fellmer
Lloyd were sitting expectantly in bandy-legged, monstrous armchairs. None of them seemed to be
frightened, they were all simply curious. For three days they had roamed through a series of subterranean
rooms the Druufs had placed at the disposal of their prisoners. After ascertaining that there was no
promising exit anywhere, they had finally returned to the organ which now captured their attention
because of all the furnishings in the subterranean prison, it was the only piece whose function they did not
know.

With pocketknives, little metal screws they had removed from the chairs and similar utensils they
succeeded in removing the cover panelling of three of the organ pipes. What appeared underneath did
not provide any definite conclusion about the significance of the device. All that was adjustable on the
thing without breaking something was the position of the lever.

Perry Rhodan placed his finger on the small piece of metal. "Here goes," he said. "Hold your breath. We
donтАЩt know what will happen!"

Rhodan increased the pressure of his finger. He felt the little lever begin to yield. For one second Perry
Rhodan wondered why absolutely nothing happened. Then suddenly it felt as if someone had landed a
powerful blow on his shoulders. His arm sank, his hand with it, and in the process his finger pulled the
little lever all the way down.

Somebody screamed. Perry Rhodan felt like screaming himself. Something was pushing him down with
overpowering might. He lunged forward and tried to brace himself with his hands but a few moments
later his arms buckled under. He fell headlong to the floor. The fall took away his breath and conjured a
colourful world of fiery circles before his eyes.

The pressure did not lessen. It squeezed the air out of RhodanтАЩs lungs, making it almost impossible to
breathe. Rhodan realized with painful clarity that he would have to undertake something if he were to
avoid becoming unconscious.
When he had depressed the lever he had anticipated so many things that he needed a few seconds to
properly evaluate the effect it had actually produced.