"(novel) (ebook) - Perry Rhodan 0041 - (33) The Giant's Partner" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

The Zarlt noticed this little incident. He called out to the girl, speaking sharply in an unknown tongue. She bowed humbly and moved quickly away. Demesor apologized to Bell. "Forgive this slave girl for bothering you. It was just a blunder."
"Oh, not at all," said Bell: "please don't punish her for it. They are really awfully pretty, your girls.
"Zarlt Demesor," Rhodan addressed his host, "do you really think that your reign over the Empire would benefit it more than that of the robot brain?"
For a moment Demesor seemed dumbfounded by this round-about rebuff. His suspicions that Rhodan did not intend to help him with his plans seemed to be borne out by this remark. Maybe the stranger no longer needed protection from the robot brain. Or there might be some other reasons?
He managed a sour smile. "It's always disadvantageous for intelligent beings if they are dominated by a machine-and it's especially humiliating for them."
"But a machine can make faster and usually better decisions, you must admit. Otherwise we would not employ robots in our service."
"Robots?" asked Demesor. Rhodan thought he detected some signs of fear flitting across the Zarlt's features. But then Demesor smiled again as if nothing had happened. "True, but only, as you say, when they are our servants and not the other way around. That's a very important difference. We must not be ruled by them; they must obey us."
"If they are more capable than we, then the situation will change radically," Rhodan prophesied calmly. "This is what happened in the case of Arkon."
The Zarlt leaned closer. "Do you mean to say that the robot brain on Arkon was justified when it eliminated the Arkonides' reign?"
Once again it took several seconds until Demesor could digest this statement. "The Arkonides are decadent and no longer qualified to administer their huge realm," he finally admitted, willing to make a compromise. "However, don't you agree that the Brain ought to have looked around for some better regents before it replaced them with its own rule?"
"Who can tell," Rhodan smiled knowingly. "Maybe it did search first for a suitable human replacement. But at that time Elton was still the Zarlt of Zalit. Perhaps Elton was rejected by the Brain as an unsuitable choice."
Perry was very diplomatic.
Demesor clapped his hands quickly 4 times. "Let the girls entertain us with some dancing," he said, in a more generous mood now. Then he changed back to some more serious business. "I'd like to get a clear reply from you to this question: can we count on your assistance when we attack Arkon a week from now?"
6 of the girls obeyed the Zarlt's command and obediently marched up to the stage. Soft music could now be heard coming from the loudspeakers. The melodies were alluring and full of unusual harmony.
"Finally things are getting a bit more interesting," Bell commented, obviously not at all concerned with the problems that seemed to weigh so heavily on the Zarlt's mind. Bell turned to get a better view of the stage. He was lucky: the Zarlt had taken care that his guests were exactly facing the podium.
Rhodan, on the other hand, decided to make an end to all this beating around the bush. "I'll give you a straight reply, Zarlt Demesor: we will not help you in your undertaking-and this for a very simple reason. And I'll tell you what it is. If you aren't capable of overcoming the barrier obstacle around Arkon on your own, then you can't be capable either of ruling the Empire. Did I spell that out clear enough for you now?"
It was more than clear, it was an open effrontery.
The Zarlt swallowed the insult.
His smile changed to a grim expression but he threw a glance of warning to his officers requesting them not to act hastily. "We're sorry to hear that," he uttered with some effort. "We're sorry indeed. You'll understand, of course, that we can't regard you any longer as our guests under the circumstances. You'll leave Zalit this evening with a transition toward the edge of this galaxy. Our spacewarp sensors will make sure that you really do obey these orders."
Rhodan appeared quite unruffled as he declared: "If that is your wish, Zarlt, we'll leave this very night. And under the circumstances..." he rose from the table "...it obviously makes no sense for us to remain any longer here in your company."
Bell did not get up. He stared fascinated at the stage where the 6 girls had just started to dance. The caressing melody seemed to meld the lithe bodies which moved so harmoniously as if they had been made from the same mould. They resembled each other to such a degree that Bell could no longer tell which of these dancing girls had kept pouring wine for him.
Rhodan sighed and sat down again.
Marshall smiled faintly. He, too, was interested in the girls. Perhaps they knew something...? Something very strange happened to him for the second time this evening. When he started to probe the dancing girls' minds he did not encounter a defence shield but something else. He could not say what it was, only that he had experienced it earlier. Where had that been?
Now he remembered. Outside the portal when the 3 operatta-type officers had greeted them. One had been thinking of his brother-in-law, the other of some trivia-and the third had not been thinking of anything whatsoever.
That's what it was!
These 6 dancing girls weren't thinking of anything either!
They weren't thinking at all!
His attention was diverted momentarily. The music had changed. Its rhythm was wilder and faster. The girls flung their legs up in the air and began to stomp on the floor with ever-increasing speed. Bell was sitting rooted to the spot, a picture of total absorption. He didn't take his eyes off the girls for a single second.
Now they descended from the stage and approached the guests with gliding steps. They danced around them in a playful manner, skilfully evading Bell's grasping hands.
Marshall resumed his previous train of thoughts but when he found the solution barely 3 seconds later it was already too late.
The girls had assumed positions, a pair behind each visitor's chair. Before Rhodan realized what was going on, and before he could receive Marshall's telepathic warning, he was encircled from behind by metal clamps which pressed his arms close to his body.
Marshall and Bell shared his fate.
Poor Reggie! All his illusions were suddenly shattered. He felt these adorable girls so close to him but there wasn't anything he could do about it. The skin of the 2 girls who were holding him so tight was smooth and cold.
As cold as steel!
"They are robots," Marshall said aloud. The steel-wool had sure been pulled over their eyes!
Bell's red hair bristles stood on end like a porcupine. He made vain efforts to turn his head so that he could see the faces of his deceptive guards.
The Zarlt stood up. "Let's end this foolish game," he said coldly. "We have been listening too long to your promises. It's finished. If you care to go on living you'll have to reveal your secrets to us. But before you start talking we'll go to another room. Do you carry weapons?"
"Why don't you have the 'girls' search us," suggested Bell, who was getting more and more furious after overcoming his initial shock.
They had no choice but to remain motionless as they were being disarmed. The steel arms of the masquerading robots permitted no resistance. Rhodan did not feel alarmed. He knew that Marshall had long since sent the danger signal to the Titan. The battle had begun.
"My grandmother always used to say," Bell stated, enraged, "that a harmless fellow like myself would some day be taken in by some no good vamp. But she certainly had no idea that it would be a make-believe female with a heart of steel!"
"Sooner or later you'd have noticed the difference, I'm sure," murmured Marshall, half in fun.
The Zarlt and the officers motioned to the 6 robots and gave them an order in a strange language. Then Rhodan and his companions were lifted effortlessly by the strong steel arms of the pretty 'girls' and carried out of the hall.

* * * *

The 3 teleporters Tako Kakuta, Ras Tschubai and Pucky had their hands full transporting all the members of the Mutant Corps into the various hide-outs of the rebel forces. The whole transaction was accomplished in 10 minutes and the Titan was left without any mutants.
For the first time Thora and Khrest found themselves all alone in the gigantic ship apart from the crew which had no possible way to interfere in any plans the 2 Arkonides might carry out.
One year ago, Thora would have used this opportunity to seize the spacesphere and flee to Arkon, as she once had actually attempted to do. Now everything was different.
Khrest seemed to have guessed her thoughts for he smiled gently. "You like Rhodan, don't you, Thora? Just admit it, if I'm right. By the way, I'm also very fond of him."
"It probably wouldn't be quite the same if when we returned to Arkon we had found the same conditions we used to know," she indirectly confirmed Khrest's conjecture. "This way however..."