" Perry Rhodan 0104 - (96) Horn Green" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

the board for IFC, gave him a disapproving look as though to say that he
didn't think much of anybody who couldn't imagine what "Super Tenderleaf might
be. In an appropriate tone of dignity he explained: "That happens to be our
newest development of spinach seeds." Denniston reddened. "Spinach...?" he
asked incredulously. "You are expecting me to fly to Vega with a cargo of
spinach and a couple of newlyweds?" "Restrain yourself now, Mark," cautioned
the elder Pincer severely. "It is not customary for members of the Firm to
belittle our own products." Denniston appeared to be somewhat helpless.
"Alright, A.P.," he grumbled, "I'll eat sour apples for you. Tell your son
we'll be taking off in a few days." But Pincer had every appearance of still
holding something back as a surprise for the captain. In fact it turned out to
be a further shock. "As you know, Mark, my son was not accepted into the Solar
Fleet. Presumably he's supposed to have some deficiency in his skeletal
structure and he's colourblind. These insignificant factors were enough,
however, to cause the examiners to reject him on a number of occasions. So I
gave John Edgar the chance to apply for a 2nd class space pilot's license
through a private space academy. Therefore he's cleared to fly the disc-ship
that I've given him for a wedding present." A flicker of something like hope
appeared in Denniston's eyes. "Then by all means your son would be able to get
along without me!" The IFC president shook his head. "No, Mark. John Edgar
doesn't have any space experience. Besides, his mother raised him a bit on the
soft side while she was alive. He needs a firm hand. So I want you to go along
with him and just make sure that I get to see him again all in one
piece." "What you're saying is, he's a great advertisement for Super
Tenderleaf-a greenhorn!" retorted the spaceman. Pincer raised a hand in
defence. "Don't try to browbeat him or crack a whip over him, Mark. Just let
him take charge of things. He doesn't know you're an old spacehound. In fact
he thinks you're to go along... well, as a sort of butler..." "Butler!"
groaned Denniston. "It goes as far as that?" "Don't throw the book at him or
try to set down any rules. I want the boy to become self-sufficient. Promise
me, Mark, that you'll only butt in when it's absolutely necessary." Denniston
answered somewhat stiffly. "Why not? A butler has to know his place!" "In the
meantime the global quarantine has been lifted," said Pincer. "The entire
population of the Earth has been inoculated against a recurrence of the plasma
plague. Ships are only restricted from takeoff in Terrania itself. I think
Rhodan's order in this respect is very wise. He doesn't want to take any
risks. Well, if there are no more cases of the sickness in the next week or
two then everything will be clear even in Terrania. At any rate we can take
off-meaning Cora, John Edgar and you, Mark." "Not to mention Super Spinach!"
added Denniston peevishly. . . . . The private spaceport of the
Intercosmic Fruit Company was situated 100 miles from Denver, capital city of
the U.S. federated state of Colorado. It was an ideal location for the
centralization and further distribution of all incoming commodities which
consisted chiefly of vegetable produce and fruit. Great storage houses and
refrigerated reefer buildings bordered the extensive area. Mark Denniston
gazed briefly out the window of the control tower office at the runway area. A
large freighter was in the process of being unloaded. Grape-picker cranes were
pulling crates from the cargo locks and stacking them up on the ground. It was
a familiar scene for Denniston. Then he saw something else that wasn't as
familiar but which appeared to him to be extremely amusing. A luggage-burdened