"(novel) (ebook) - Perry Rhodan 0078 - (70) Thora's Sacrifice" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

The same day Thora said goodbye to him and a ship took her to Venus where she retired to live in her cottage 'Arkon' in the foothills of the Valta Mountains.
In the 3 months which had elapsed since that day, Thora had changed from a swiftly aging woman into a patient with a deadly affliction: 24 hours ago the last blood test had revealed the dismal state.

* * * *

Now Deringhouse was pacing the floor of Dr. Villnoess' office. The hard-nosed General was afraid to tell his Chief and Thora's husband: Perry Rhodan, your wife must die!
"Doctor..." Deringhouse had stopped in front of Villnoess. "Rhodan is a human being and not a lifeless monument. What can I tell him? What's your advice, Doctor?"
"He knows the facts already," Dr. Villnoess answered. "He's talked yesterday with Dr. Manoli..."
"He knows...!" Deringhouse interjected excitedly. "Of course he knows it. But, Doctor, don't you see that he's not yet ready to admit the true facts to himself. They're husband and wife and they're in love. You never had the privilege I experienced to see the harmony in which they spent their lives together. Thora! The Arkonide princess from an ancient dynasty who was at first so proud and haughty and then became the kind spirit of the Solar Imperium! These are not mere phrases. I'm only saying what very few have known. Thora has guided our Chief, not with advice and even less with admonishments, she has guided her husband by being his wife and by giving him the bliss he had dreamed about. And now all this must come to an end. Just now when the destiny of our tiny system is balanced on a razor's edge. Dr. Villnoess, there must be a cure for that sarcoma F Arkon..."
At this point the Chief Physician of the Haematology Department interrupted the upset General. Being greatly impressed by Deringhouse's words, Villnoess said, distressed: "General, death has always been a part of life."
"Is that all you've got to say?" Deringhouse asked harshly but quickly added: "Doctor, I've no intention of blaming you but..."
"In the case of Thora, General, there is no but."
"Then please-tell me at least how long you expect Thora to live."
"Today is the 4th of October." Villnoess took a deep breath. "Thora won't live to see the next spring."
"Half a year then?"
"Maybe."
"Can I pay a visit to Thora or are there any reasons which wouldn't allow me to fly to her cottage 'Arkon'?"
The Chief Physician reflected for a moment. "I don't wish to raise any false hopes in the Administrator but my colleagues and I are of the opinion that it would be beneficial if Thora could be entrusted with a meaningful task during the last months of her life before the sudden decay begins so that she won't have to spend her waning days in mute desperation and lethargy."
"How am I to understand your suggestion, Doctor? Are you implying that a responsible task would make it possible for a person of the Arkonide race to alleviate the suffering of death?"
"There's no difference in this respect between Terrans and Arkonides. However I regret that I must deny your wish to visit Thora for the time being, General. You're now on your way to Grautier. If you stop on Venus on your way back you could bring an important assignment to Thora. I can assure you that this would renew her desire to live."
"Does Thora know what's wrong with her?" Deringhouse inquired.
"She does since this morning. She called me earlier in the day..."
"And you told her? I can't believe that, Doctor!" It was the tone of a soldier but Villnoess was undeterred.
"I was, not prepared to take the responsibility for robbing Thora of the last dimly flickering spark of life. She knows that she is suffering from sarcoma F Arkon..."
"Doctor, I feel like. The usually restrained Deringhouse violently raised his arm.
"For heaven's sake", the Chief Physician thought, "how much Gen. Deringhouse must admire Perry Rhodan's wife to be carried away like that!" But he was not frightened by the impulsive movement which threatened him with a blow. As a physician he understood this as a natural reaction for Deringhouse.
"General!" Villnoess replied. "Since this morning Thora is convinced that the effect of the life-prolonging serum has been nullified solely by her tumour. Don't you realize the psychological advantage of this knowledge for her? A woman will accept the scourge of aging much easier if brought on by an illness than by some inherent defect of her body to respond to biological cures. Would you please point this out to the Administrator?"
"I will, Doctor. And will you please forgive my rude behaviour and my remonstrations."
When Dr. Villnoess was alone in his office again, he pondered the remark. He warmly admired Gen. Deringhouse and the calibre of the men Perry Rhodan had been able to gather around him. They were honest men-men with virtues but not without faults. They could admit their mistakes with the greatest simplicity and he respected them for that too.
Villnoess left his desk and walked to the window. The weather was grey on grey. The intense colours paled behind a curtain of rain.
"Like a death-shroud..." Villnoess murmured, breathing with difficulty.





2/ CRISIS: RHODAN

Gen. Deringhouse had finally gotten it off his chest.
Perry Rhodan turned his back to him. The room was filled with an oppressive silence and Deringhouse felt as if a burden were weighing with increasing heaviness on his shoulders.
He had reported his conversation with the Chief Physician of the Terra Clinic's Haematology Department at Port Venus almost word by word to the Administrator. If there was a man who had the right to learn the last details, this man was Perry Rhodan, Thora's husband.
Then Rhodan said abruptly: "Please leave me alone now, Deringhouse. I'll see you in an hour at the briefing. Thank you very much."
The door had hardly closed behind the General when Rhodan called the telecom centre. "Please have Reginald Bell answer all my calls. I don't want to be disturbed."

* * * *

Grautier, the 7th planet of the Myrtha system which was comprised of a total of 49 planets, became with each passing day a stronger base of the Solar Imperium. Many billions had already been invested to build a bristling fortress in the vicinity of the overlap-front between the Einsteinнand Druufнtimeнplanes.
Located only 22 light-years from the egress zone where the 2 time-planes overlapped and the transit-funnel became constantly more stabilized, Perry Rhodan regarded the planet as the most important springboard for the imminent actions.
At the moment there was nothing for him to do but to wait. Time was working in his favour as the Arkonide war fleet and Druuf Space Forces conducted merciless battles against each other.
Both sides were apparently equally strong and suffered tremendous material losses which were replaced hourly by new reserves. Neither the Arkonides nor the Druufs considered their casualties with undue concern as long as they were not scraping the bottom of the barrel.