"(novel) (ebook) - Perry Rhodan 0023 - (16) Secret Barrier X" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

"Why don't you ask him yourself? At any rate, I know enough about tactics that such a ruse would merely be a game of hit or miss in this neighbourhood. But Tomisenkow must ford the river above the cataracts. There's no better place to cross the river within miles. Remember that there's an opening like a path in the forest on the other side of the river. Tomisenkow will simply have to pass through there if he wants to get to the ocean. All we have to do is to sit in the trees..."
"When are you going to shut up?" a third man complained. "The way you're trying to outshout each other, Tomisenkow's patrols will be here before our own men. You're supposed to stand guard, Mitja! Keep your eyes and ears open! The others, get down. If it doesn't suit you, you can tell it to the president; but don't give me any trouble!"
The last speaker appeared to be a sort of sub-lieutenant. In any case, he was in charge. Perry Rhodan would have preferred that the men kept talking. It had distracted them and now the slightest noise could betray him.
He was compelled to use the background noises of the forest's inhabitants so that his advance would not be heard. If he waited for the sound of flapping wings or the call of a bird, he was able to move forward without being detected. It slowed down his progress more than he anticipated.
He fashioned a loop from a finger-sized vine and pushed it little by little over the barrel of a carbine. He jerked the loop so that it snagged behind the front sight. It took an eternity till he finally gained possession of the weapon. However, he still lacked ammunition and food.
As his next objective he selected a small box labelled 'Meat Extract.' He made the loop a little larger and managed to slide it over the box; but when he pulled the sling, the box toppled over, alarming the guard instantaneously. "Halt!" he commanded although it was impossible for him to see Rhodan. At the same time the other four jumped up and grabbed their weapons in a routine manner.
Rhodan realized instantly that he had no chance of escaping from this battery of drawn guns. He could only compensate for their numerical advantage by using his head and bluffing them.
He just stood there nonchalantly, without raising his new found weapon.
"Put your hands up!" he was challenged.
He paid no attention, stepped over a root of a tree lying in his way and approached the five soldiers, pretending to be annoyed.
"Don't move!"
Rhodan complied. Though he was amused, he did it with the expression of a disapproving superior officer.
"Who is in charge here?" he asked in a commanding tone.
His authoritative bearing evidently confused the five soldiers. They no longer insisted that he put up his hands.
"Hell, can't you talk?" Rhodan thundered, playing the role. "What's the shooting over there all about? Do you know who's playing war there?"
Finally one of the men managed to speak.
"My name is Ilja Iljushin, sir!"
"You've got a rank, haven't you?"
"All ranks have been abolished since President Wallerinski..."
"Shut up!"
Perry Rhodan's voice grew louder and louder, since he saw that his imperious behaviour created the desired effect.
"For your information, I'm Commissar Danow, R. O. Danow. There's been a change of government in the Eastern Bloc four weeks ago. The new government has dispatched strong forces to Venus which landed yesterday to restore law and order. I get the impression from our short talk that some strange customs have developed in Tomisenkow's division which will hardly meet with the approval of the government. I advise you to remember your oath of loyalty and to return to your duties.
"We don't serve under Tomisenkow, Commissar..."
Rhodan saw that Mitja poked the speaker in the ribs. However it was too late to deny the admitted mutiny.
"We'll talk about the details later. First of all you must see to it that this silly shooting match stops. What did you say the name was-Wallerinski?"
"Lt. Wallerinski, Commissar!"
"You two will leave at once and inform him about the new situation. The power of command has been exclusively assumed by the appointed commissars. I expect to see Lt. Wallerinski and his detachment here in half an hour latest. What are you waiting for?"
Rhodan had looked instinctively at the two 'pacifists' he considered more independent. He had to get rid of them for a short time. They obeyed.
After they had disappeared toward the north in the underbrush, he had only three opponents to contend with. The improvement of the odds in his favour made him feel more optimistic.
"Lay down your arms! I can't permit you to bear arms until you've renewed your oath."
For a few moments it looked as if he had gone too far and that his bluff would be called by the three 'pacifists.' The men hesitated. Without their becoming aware of it, Rhodan then resorted to a different treatment.
He still kept his weapon lowered. It would not have looked very well if he had tried to level the heavy carbine and dropped it. It was still too much of an effort for his injured shoulder.
His eyes, though had not suffered. The power of his eyes could not be explained by common hypnosis. It was one of the by-products of his Arkonide hypno-training.
The hesitation of the soldiers was fraught with danger.
"Put down your arms!" he ordered once more.
He said it without adopting the barking tone of a drill sergeant. He hardly raised his voice but it did not fail to be persuasive.
The pacifists obeyed.
"Detachment, about face!"
The command was crisp as on a parade ground.
Once again the astounded men followed the order.
Rhodan picked up their weapons and threw them behind his back with the exception of one light army pistol which he could securely hold in his hand in spite of the pain in his shoulder.
Then he made them turn around again and they were facing him eye to eye. This time the pistol gave him the edge. Even the next experiment succeeded although it would have been extremely difficult to perform with men indoctrinated to a lesser degree with blind obedience. For them Rhodan represented Commissar R. O. Danow. They did him the favour of tying each other up with thin but tough vines. Rhodan took care of the rest. He tied them to three trees with their faces facing north and-for the sake of added security-put gags in their mouths.
After their treatment the three 'pacifists' slowly began to realize that they had been tricked by a very clever ruse, albeit the knowledge came five minutes too late.
They continued to hear noises behind them indicating that their wily adversary was busy with their property. Finally they heard him walking away amidst the sound of moving vines.

* * *

When Perry Rhodan got back to his tree, he wanted to send up a signal but Son Okura was already beside him.
"I could hear you talk loudly, sir, and I guessed that you were detected. So I came down."
"You'll have to climb up again and get our stuff. We've got to get out of here as quickly as possible. I'll explain later."