" Perry Rhodan 0116 - (108) Duel Under the Double Sun" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

It felt good to be addressed by my own name once more. It sounded much better than тАШYour
EminenceтАЩ. It was astonishing how much rapport I seemed to have with these men. Each of them was a
personality who was interesting or even fascinating in his own right. I belonged with themтАФI could sense
it intuitively.

I touched my chest. Under the thin material of my uniform I could feel the egg-shaped rejuvenation
device which had never failed me in 10,000 years of time by Earthly reckoning. "No, Bell," I answered.

"So that settles it!" he exclaimed. "It has to be a chance coincidenceтАФa fluke!" He slammed a fist
emphatically against the palm of his hand. With his head thrust stubbornly between his shoulders he
paced the length of the wardroom.

"Take it easy," warned Prof. Manoli. "Your nerves are on edge."

Bell made a hefty gesture with his hand. His rusty red shock of hair was standing out almost rigidly from
his angular skull. I had never seen him so worked up before. He came back to me then and placed both
hands on my shoulders, gently shaking me in the process. I held my position rigidly.

"Atlan, IтАЩve asked for this conference because we need your help. Do you understand? We need your
help!"

Something began to stir in me that I could not define. The men of Earth needed me! It was a wonderful
feeling. "Tell me about it, Bell."

He laughed but with an irony of lament. "I wonтАЩt hold anything back, AtlanтАФnot anymore. Perry has
turned into a tyrant. Certain members of the Solar Government have been arrested for very flimsy
reasons. HeтАЩs making a very tricky use of the emergency powers act. Officers and crewmembers are
punished without cause and nonтАФhuman intelligences are insulted and challenged. WeтАЩre at the brink of
disaster. The result is that trouble is starting to brew in the Fleet officersтАЩ corps. Even some of the
mutants, our most important people, are beginning to sulk and bristle. A revolt is taking shape. If thereтАЩs
to be any hope of saving the Solar Imperium, we have to place Rhodan in protective custody
immediately. Solar Marshal Freyt, Deringhouse and other top Chiefs of Staff send you their best
compliments through me. Mercant, Marshall and Manoli have come here personally. Atlan, youтАЩre an old
friend of humanityтАФyou have to help us!"

Bell seemed to be at the edge of a nervous crisis. Manoli gave me a warning signal and the telepath had
his eyes closed. Apparently Marshall was probing BellтАЩs consciousness. I was shaken. Groping for a
solution I looked across imploringly at Mercant. He was the pivotal point of stabilization in this circle of
Terrans. A plan could only be put together with Mercant and Marshall. Behind them, were Solar
Intelligence and the powerful Mutant Corps.

"How can you speak of protective custody?" I asked. "There must be a million troops who are blindly
committed to Rhodan. His human greatness in the past has not been forgotten by these men. Probably
they will never fully understand how much the Administrator has changed. Or have you generally let it be
known what his condition is?"

"WeтАЩve avoided that," said Mercant dryly. "Sir, we are anxious to have Perry safeguarded and in
security. The Galactic Medicos and our own specialists are working day and night to find a cure for the
explosive cell division. Rhodan himself is of the opinion that he can only get help from the Antis. He