" Perry Rhodan 0097 - (89) Powers Price" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

tightrope walker performing at a height of 100 meters without a net. Only instead of an audience down
below of people who hardly dare breathe because of their tension, thereтАЩs a bunch of fellows trying to
shoot you down!"

"But the man named Thomas Cardif is not among the onlookers!"

"IтАЩm telling you this in spite of my cut thumb and my superstition! Thomas Cardif canтАЩt be so rotten or so
traitorously inclined: after all, his father is Perry Rhodan!"

That had been typical for Reginald Bell; he had not expressed himself very tactfully but there was no
misunderstanding what he had said and he was utterly convinced of the truth of it. He was still displaying
his right thumb to Rhodan and Atlan.

"Mr. Bell!" said Admiral Atlan sharply. "Put your thumb away! Half the Galaxy is talking about your
oddity. WeтАж"

"Oddity, is it?" interrupted Bell energetically. "You call it an oddity when weтАЩre all sitting at the lowest
point of our career in the UniverseтАФonly I canтАЩt yet believe that Thomas Cardif is guilty of this
murderous attack. And besides, it doesnтАЩt fit the facts!"
 "IтАЩm not kicking a dead horse. Nothing is accomplished for us that way. Our purposes can be served
only by seeing a 24- or 25-year-old man in the role he is now playing! These tricky interstellar gypsies,
these Galactic Traders, have long ago driven the little upstart Cardif up against the wall!"

"That is what IтАЩm trying to tell you!"

"And even if Thomas had carried out a hundred jobs like the one that led to the car blowing up two
hours ago, the boy was not aware that you, Perry, were to have been blown up too!"

"Where do you get your information?" asked Atlan ironically.

Bell sized up Perry, who was listening to the emphatically spoken words of his friend. Then his gaze
moved away and settled on the Admiral. "Atlan, my knowledge doesnтАЩt come from here!" And Reginald
Bell pointed to his head. Then his hand sank and rested against his heart. "It comes from here. You
certainly know us romantically-inclined Terrans well enoughтАФprobably better than you know yourself.
My heartтАФcrazy as it may soundтАФhas told me that Thomas Cardif is not capable of any murder, and if
your positronic monster claims the opposite is so, then IтАЩll furnish the proof that IтАЩm right and this thing is
wrong!"

In spite of the seriousness of the situation, Atlan laughed. "Mr. Bell, if only we Arkonides were also
somewhat romantically inclined and. listened to what our heart tells us. But IтАЩm afraid that an Arkonide
heart canтАЩt say much of anything these days."

In his usual manner, Bell fended off AtlanтАЩs openness. "Now donтАЩt you get started pouring out your
feelings, Admiral! IтАЩd rather have you tell me how a Springer could get to Arkon 3. It must surely have
been one of those star-gypsies whoтАж"

"CouldnтАЩt it have also been someone from the Solar System, Mr. Bell?"

To that, Bell had only one word in reply. "Huh!"