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

He opened his eyes and grasped the situation with one glance-and managed a distorted grin.
Aha-Pucky, naturally! Whenever Pucky gets wind of some girls you can't hold him back.
For an instant the mouse-beaver was so startled about this monstrous claim that he didn't react. But then he displayed his incisor and waved to Bell in a generous manner.
"I won't contend your right to keep them all to yourself! Thanks for nothing!" With these words Pucky turned to Rhodan. "And now let's eliminate these Mooffs, Lord and Master."
Kitai had meanwhile succeeded in bringing the Mooffs entirely under his power. The strange creatures seemed to be paralysed and squatted motionless inside their containers. They appeared to guess what fate was in store for them.
"Pucky!" Bell roared desperately. "Rescue me from these monsters!"
Slowly the mouse-beaver turned around, regarded the idyll with shiny incisor and bristling fur. He seemed to be highly amused to see Bell held tight in the embrace of 2 pretty females.
"Have you had enough?" he inquired with mock solicitousness.
"Just get me out of here-you can keep them if you like. Maybe you can program them for fur-tickling-or whatever you please."
Pucky giggled. It sounded rather silly.
"Thanks, no. Not interested in training these lifeless dolls. I know somebody who is better qualified for such a serious task as fur-tickling."
"You don't mean..." Bell began to say jealously but Pucky cut him off:
"I mean you, old pal! If I set you free you must promise to spend at least 5 hours with me and..."
"I promise! I promise! Please, hurry!"
The moment Bell was released from the robot girls' steely embrace he staggered over to Kitai, borrowed his pulse raygun and walked back to the 2 robots, who had remained completely passive. The Zarlt, the master they had obeyed, was dead.
Bell held the gun right directly in front of the phony faces of the dancing girls.
"And now I'll finish you off, you... you. He could not find the right word to express his disgust. "You'll never again foster stupid thoughts and desires in honest men, I promise you! Go on, turn around! Get going!" But the 2 darlings did not react. They remained quiet and motionless as they were. "Well, have it your way! Farewell and say hello from me to the others in robot heaven!"
While the graceful figures dissolved in smoking plastic and molten metal, Bell held his nose, horrified at the stench and moaned:
"And to think that I almost... no! It's inconceivable! What a flop...!"
Pucky had watched with interest but then he grew tired of the whole farce. He waddled over to Kitai. "I'll simply lift the Mooffs in their cages up to the ceiling and then let them drop to the ground. The methane atmosphere will escape from the containers and they'll die a gentle death."
Rhodan who had not commented so far, now joined the conversation.
"We aren't going to kill them, Pucky. It will be better if Kitai is going to suggest to them firmly that they'll have to serve a new master from now on. They are to remain passive until we'll come and fetch them. There's plenty of room in the Titan for 12 Mooffs."
Bell's eyes looked like 2 huge watery-blue marbles as he stammered: "Do you... want to... install a zoo... in the Titan, Perry? Why?"
Perry laughed. "Sometimes you really can act dense, Reggie. You know we aren't so much interested in the Mooffs themselves..."
"That's why!"
"...but far more in the unknown strangers who had them brought to Zalit. Maybe time will make them a little more communicative. That's why I'm getting myself a little zoo. Get it?"
"Do I look that stupid?" replied Bell sharply. He seemed to be fully recovered. Pucky giggled.
"I thought I suffered from visual disturbances," he remarked with mock seriousness. Bell stared at him surprised but he was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice the dig at him.
Rhodan glanced briefly at the wall where the Zarlt and his officers had been standing.
"I suppose hell must have broken loose outside by now. I think we'd better inform Adm. Zernif of the Zarlt's death. This might save the lives of thousands of Zalite citizens. If they hear that the tyrant has been overthrown they'll lay down their arms. In this respect Wuriu did a good deed, although I wasn't at all in agreement at first with having the guilty ones punished this way."
Marshall had been listening quietly with his 'inner ear'. Now he lifted his head.
"The rebels are storming the palace. They are overrunning anything in their way-palace guards, soldiers, personnel..."
"Let's hurry!" Rhodan urged. "We mustn't lose any time in announcing to the Zalites that we have shaken off their tyrant's yoke. And I personally feel a great urge to have another talk with an old friend of mine..."
"An old friend of yours? Who would that be?" Bell wanted to know.
"Who else but our giant partner, the robot brain of Arkon!"
Thora had slept for a few hours when she was awakened by Lt. Tifflor.

* * * *

"Pardon me, Madam. Khrest asked me to tell you in person to come to the command centre right away."
Thora sat up in her bed. "What's going on, Tiff?"
"Nothing, Madam. Nothing so far."
Thora refrained from further questions. She waited until Tiff had closed her cabin door behind him, then got up. A few minutes later she joined Khrest in the command centre.
The Arkonide scientist hardly turned his head when Thora entered. Tiff sat before the navigational-brain, gathering up some foils of information from it. All panoramic videoscreens were switched on, totally depicting the image of deep space surrounding the Titan.
Thora recognized the small Arkonide robot-scoutships, also larger battle units and cruisers. Farther in the background were lurking gigantic battleships of the Stardust type, spacespheres with a diameter of 2400 feet.
"What's that supposed to be?" Thora asked. Her eyes were busy trying to locate the Ganymede. The giant torpedo was hovering apparently motionless some miles away from the Titan. In reality the 2 ships were moving in free fall toward the sun Voga. "Are they attacking us? Are these the Zarlt's ships?"
For an instant Khrest took his eyes off the instrument panel.
"So far, no attack, Thora. These are battle units of the Empire. All are robot-guided vessels. I haven't figured out yet what all of this means. I wonder if the robot brain on Arkon is ignoring its agreements with Rhodan?"
Thora did not answer. She calmly studied the array of the Arkonide fleet. There was an icy glitter in her eyes. When finally she started to speak her voice sounded cold and determined. "Arkon's fleet! If they dare attack us we'll teach them a fine lesson, Khrest, which neither Orcast nor the Brain will ever forget. We have in our possession the mightiest ship of the entire universe-and we'll never let go of it!"
Khrest managed an astonished smile.