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

Milfor was about to say something but then decided against it. Instead, Cenets spoke up: "To act? What do you mean by that? Are we supposed to attack Arkon without knowing how strong the Brain really is? Do we have sufficient data about the depth and nature of the ring of fortifications around Arkon? Is it possible to bypass it if we resort to a jump through hyperspace?"
"So far we have no information," admitted Demesor, "but it won't be long till we'll obtain it. Rhodan will reveal his secrets."
"I'm afraid we'll have to wait a very long time for Rhodan to do that. He definitely hasn't the least intention to tell us what he knows."
"Certainly he doesn't intend to reveal all out of his own free will," said Demesor. "But we can 'persuade' him-by force!"
Milfor looked up. His eyes began to glitter. Force! That was his kind of language. A cold smile played around his hard mouth. "That sounds better, Demesor. Force! That's the only way. But how do you plan to impose our will on Rhodan? He is very smart and has unusually capable friends, they say. Even the Mooffs can't read his thoughts."
"We'll invite him for a conference," suggested Demesor. "Our robots will subdue him by force in case the Zalites can't accomplish this by themselves. Once he's down in the palace vaults I guarantee he'll learn to talk. My scientists will see to that."
"What if he doesn't come alone?" Cenets remarked cautiously.
The Zarlt answered with a derisive smile. "Our robots can handle 10 men like Rhodan, Cenets. Don't you worry about that. And then once we've learned how to penetrate unhindered into the Arkon System, we'll act. The days of the robot rule are numbered-long live the Zalite Empire of Arkon!"
"Long live the Zalite Empire!" the whispered voices of the other 4 men confirmed the new battle-cry of Zarlt Demesor's conspiracy.

* * * *

Admiral Zernif's friends opened the attack exactly at the appointed hour.
Important government buildings and especially those of the all-powerful spacefleet were blown up in and around Tagnor. Even one of the bigger ships exploded on the landing field. Fortunately there was no loss of life since the crew was busy with outside repairs.
The Zarlt's military forces were openly assaulted as they were patrolling civilian neighbourhoods. A considerable number of Demesor's hirelings were killed while the citizens looked on impassively.
Factories situated in the rural districts went up in the air and entire armament works were destroyed. It became evident how well the rebels had prepared this coup, how effectively they were organized. Such a revolt could never have been hatched inside a few hours. They must have planned a similar uprising for quite some time. Rhodan's initiative had merely hastened the course of events.
The Zarlt sounded the alarm. Smaller units of the spacefleet were diverted to their original home ports. Transporters brought troops from remote areas in order to nip the rebellion in the bud.
Hard as the Zarlt's forces tried to seize the revolutionaries they were always too late; they could never find a trace of the saboteurs who seemed to vanish into thin air as soon as their acts had been perpetrated. Nobody admitted to having seen them; nobody could furnish the slightest clue.
Amidst all this chaos, no one paid any attention when a small, disk-shaped ship came shooting down from the evening sky toward the edge of the space-landing field, quickly to disappear in the open landing hatch of the 2500-feet-tall Ganymede.
The landing manoeuvre had been accomplished undisturbed and unnoticed. The same instant all sabotage acts ceased abruptly all over Zalit.
Calm returned as if there had never been a resistance movement.

* * * *

The night passed without any incidents.
The following morning around 11 o'clock a car approached the Titan. It stopped close to the lower entrance hatch. An officer got out of the car, gazed upwards, probably in the hope that someone would notice him.
It was his good luck that this very moment Sgt. Harnahan by sheer coincidence decided to switch on the video-spy in the entrance hatch. He saw the colourful uniform of the Zalite. At first he believed this gaudy object to be a gigantic parrot but he quickly realized his mistake. The officers on Zalite always looked as if they had come straight from a masquerade.
Sgt. Harnahan shrugged his shoulders. He didn't care if the Zalites would even adorn themselves with medals from head to toe.
But what business had this guy being here? For a moment Sgt. Harnahan pondered whether it was prohibited, opening this hatch. He could not recall ever having heard of any such ruling. After all, the entrance was more than 30 feet above the concrete-covered ground of the landing field. There was hardly any danger unless the fellow down there happened to be a record high-jumping athlete.
Harnahan let the airlock slide aside a bit, until a gap just large enough to stick his head through opened up.
"No pedlars or agents allowed here!" he shouted down.
The officer of the Zarlt was so startled that he jumped back a couple of feet. It was Hemor who had not counted on such a rude reception. He knew that Rhodan's men could speak Intercosmo.
"I'm coming on behalf of the Zarlt," he called back, ignoring the disrespectful warning. "Rodantokvil. I want to talk to Rhodan."
"Mr. Rhodan to you!" roared Harnahan, who suddenly remembered that one should place great value on good manners. "Wait a moment, I'll go and ask him."
And before Hemor could make a reply, the hatch was shut again. The Zalite was boiling with rage but he managed not to show it. The Zarlt had insisted on composure. Composure and patience. There would be plenty of opportunity later on to make Rhodan suffer for his impudence.
Thus Hemor was left standing all alone-waiting and waiting.
Harnahan was in no particular hurry.
Using a variety of elevators he finally reached the command centre from where he called Rhodan via intercom. Rhodan was still in his cabin after having spent half the night with the mutants, busily discussing the next phase of action.
"Who wants to talk to me?" he tried to ascertain, amazed. "An officer?"
"He pretends he was sent by the Zarlt," Harnahan informed the face peering at him from the videoscreen. "He says it's urgent."
Rhodan jumped out of bed. "Tell him to wait. Don't let him inside the ship. I'll go and see him."
"Alone?"
"Of course, or do you think I'm afraid of a single Zalite officer? You can watch me from the entrance hatch."
Harnahan switched off the intercom and returned to the starting point of his adventure. The gaily-bedecked officer was still waiting at the same spot; his legs seemed ready to drop off.
"Hey, you, down there!" Harnahan hailed him and opened the airlock hatch all the way. He sat down on the threshold, let his legs dangle over the side. "You are supposed to wait. Rhodan will soon join you."
That was a bit exaggerated for Rhodan took his own good time. After all, he had just got up. He had a leisurely breakfast after he had made sure, by way of the external viewer, who had come to call on him. He had met Hemor before. He was the officer who had discovered him at the border regions of the system and who had escorted him to Zalit. It might be advisable perhaps to take Marshall along: he could check up on Hemor's thoughts.
But then Rhodan decided against this plan. He was after all familiar with Demesor's intentions. Besides, Marshall needed to get some rest after the latest sortie.
Rhodan arrived at the lock, gently tapped Harnahan on the shoulder. The sergeant was so startled that he lost his balance and would have fallen all the way to the ground if Rhodan had not caught hold of him at the last moment.
"You scare easy, don't you?" Rhodan sounded surprised.
Harnahan quickly regained control of himself. "No, sir. I got sleepy watching that parrot down there. He has such a bored face."