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

Seconds later, Tomisenkow was at Thora's side.
"I hope you didn't get hurt, ma'am! May I help you?"
Thora became only more confused by the manner in which the General approached her. She was unable to conceal her shock. R-17 had kept up her morale during her captivity and represented a certain measure of assurance. The attack looked very real but when she heard Tomisenkow's words she realized that she had been the victim of his intrigue.
She ignored his helping hand and got up by herself. "What a miserable specimen of a man you are!" she flared.
Thora was wild with rage. Tomisenkow savoured his triumph all the more, even though unaware that the word 'man' from the mouth of this alien female woman was supposed to be the worst of insults.
"Let's return now, ma'am. I can imagine how much the loss of your plastic robot must upset you. I suppose you won't feel like continuing our little walk. You ought to lie down and take a little rest."
"You'll pay for this, Gen. Tomisenkow!"
"Why?"
"Are you trying to deny that this contemptible manoeuvre was your own handiwork?"
"Of course not. I give you credit for having found me out so quickly. Why can't you be a good loser, ma'am?"
Thora spat at his feet. She had seen some people do this and didn't care that it wasn't ladylike. Anyway, she disdained behaving according to the rules of human society. She knew no bounds when she was angry.
By now Tomisenkow knew his prisoner long enough to realize that there was no use talking to her in such a state. He silently turned around and went back to the camp. Thora passed by the guard 100 yards behind him. A soldier followed her at a distance to make sure she returned to her tent.
In the meantime the general had summoned the emergency detail to fight the forest fire. Although there were only small amounts of dry extinguisher chemicals left in storage, they were sufficient to put out the blaze. The succulent flora of Venus didn't make very good fuel. The weather on the planet lacked long periods of drought during which the prairies and forests could have become parched.
Tomisenkow's stubbornness was proverbial. He went once more to Thora and inquired about the mutants.
"Get out of here, you barbarian!" she shouted at him and took a breath to heap some more invectives on him but words failed her when she saw his grinning face and she turned away quietly.
The General took a different tack and asked in a gentle tone:
"You once threatened that R-17 was capable of destroying all my troops and I took you seriously. Do you want to claim now that it was a harmless bluff?"
Thora didn't answer.
"Well, as you wish," Tomisenkow grumbled. "Don't take it for granted that I'm always ready to justify my actions to you. You threatened me with the robot and I didn't make a secret of it that I considered him a menace. I was the quicker one and now I have more power over you than before. You have two hours to rest up. Then we'll pull up stakes and depart for the north. The Venus fortress will be conquered, you can depend on that! And it will be I alone who will take possession of your ancestors' heritage. With you or without you."
He received no reply and left, shrugging his shoulders.
When he passed the quarters of the shock troop near the central square he looked at the bulletin board. Popolzak had fastened on a new note with the names of the five men fallen in combat with R-17.
Tomisenkow suppressed a question about the sense of the action. He had a headache when he entered his tent.

* * *

Five hours later his little army was on the march again. The lower gravity of Venus made it easier for the men to carry the precious equipment and provisions salvaged from their disabled spaceships. It was not much considering what they were going to need in the next few months. For that reason they were forced to be very miserly with their few possessions. If anything was left behind because of carelessness or laziness, the culprit had to answer for it. Tomisenkow's orders were very strict in this respect.
All inventory of their stocks had been made several months ago. Since then inspections and checkups followed regularly at short intervals. Each match and bullet, each can of food was registered. Anyone firing a shot from his weapon had to keep a record and make a report.
The leading units and the rearguard were less loaded down with packs. They were the most mobile units. Each time Tomisenkow's troop completed another leg of the lengthy march and advanced their headquarters one more step northeast, he asked himself whether his optimism was justified in view of the dwindling strength of his army.
It was impossible to keep the column together in the marshes of the lowlands. The undergrowth was so dense that it had to be cleared with atom grenades. The atom grenades they used created 'clean' explosions without detrimental fallout. However, their application was limited by the danger of forest fires since their dry extinguishers were in very short supply.
The path broken by the vanguard had to be followed by all soldiers. The column, therefore, frequently extended over a distance of many miles.
With all these drawbacks Tomisenkow didn't have much to be proud of. He had approximately half a regiment left. The flanks were always exposed to an ambush even by a weaker enemy. And it was hardly appropriate to call a foe like Rhodan weak.
For that reason Tomisenkow always stuck close to Thora. He did it with such perseverance that Thora finally found her tongue again. She made it very clear to him that she didn't appreciate his company.
"I'm sorry I have to disregard your feelings. In case Rhodan attacks, I'll need a hostage. If he harbours any thought of rescuing you from here, I'll have the option of killing you first."
His frankness astonished Thora. She took refuge in her inborn arrogance.
It was 113:00 o'clock when a member of the vanguard picked up a familiar rapid fire carbine. A sergeant brought the weapon to the general and reported:
"We've come across a campfire about two miles south of here, sir!"
"A campfire?"
"It was abandoned, sir. The burned wood was already cold. This carbine was lying in the grass under a tree. Those men must have forgotten to take it along. Some of our compatriots! It's a shame how derelict they become without a guiding hand."
"Are you in charge of the vanguard?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Go to Col. Popolzak and have him give you 10 men. Take these reinforcements and reconnoitre in the southern direction. I've a feeling there must be some people there who need to be watched."
"Very good, sir!"
Before the sergeant could reach the Colonel, who was marching 50 yards ahead, a volley of shots cracked out of the jungle.
"Take cover!" a voice cried. However the order was quite superfluous. Instinctively the men had hit the ground and turned right. While dropping to the ground their rifles were instantly moved into firing position.
All was quiet again after the first fire of the surprise attack. Even the singing Venusian birds in the trees interrupted their concert. Some flew away with flapping wings. Others stuck their heads under their feathers.
A few shots were fired from their own ranks.
"Hell, no!" Popolzak's voice could be heard distinctly. "You're not allowed to fire unless you can see what you're shooting at. Every shot must be a hit!"
The unknown opponent answered with a burst of machinegun fire.
"The stupid idiots over there!" growled Tomisenkow, his nose half an inch above the ground. "Don't they know they can't hit a man at 20 paces in this dense underbrush? This growth absorbs bullets like blotting paper... Oh, I beg your pardon, ma'am!"
Tomisenkow had not noticed till then that he was pushing Thora into the ground. While he held the butt of his rapid fire gun in one hand his other gripped Thora's neck in a vice.