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

Now Rhodan got up and Bell stood waiting without making another move. Rhodan walked over to the window and stared outside under the watchful attention of Bell. They appeared to have forgotten Deringhouse's presence in the room.
The general coughed discretely and tried to find a way to leave.
"Please stay here, Deringhouse!" Bell requested him. "Would you please repeat once more what Dr. Villnoess said about Thora? How beneficial it would be if she could be entrusted with a meaningful task?"
At this moment Rhodan turned around. He had come to a new decision and his tense features were more relaxed. The firm creases around his mouth seemed to be less rigid. "You're right, Reggie," he said to his friend and then addressed Deringhouse. "You may fly to Venus and invite my wife to join you on your trip to Arkon. I'll prepare her for your visit before you arrive at her cottage. But before you go to see her you must drop in again at Dr. Villnoess' and discuss with him the kind of a task you have in mind for Thora. It'll depend on his judgment whether she can see Arkon for the last time. Deringhouse, my wife..."
The Administrator of the Solar Imperium impulsively extended his hands to the general and exclaimed when they were seized by Deringhouse: "I couldn't think of a better friend!"
Bell, who had used the sledgehammer method against Perry Rhodan, couldn't suppress a sentimental feeling. He was overwhelmed by his admiration for Rhodan, who had said more to Deringhouse in one sentence than could be expressed in 100 phrases.
"Sir," the general replied with deep emotion, "I'm glad that you've honoured me with this task."
"Now, Deringhouse, we must lay out our strategy of the best way to persuade the positronic Brain that our proposed treaty is worth more than a hundred new battleships. I've already consulted Atlan and we're of the opinion..."
By the time he received the call on the telecom that all staff officers had arrived for the briefing, Perry Rhodan bid his general goodbye
The two friends were left alone. They exchanged glances without saying a word. The two men had never felt closer to each other in their lives. Their friendship had withstood a severe test that day.
"Come with me," Rhodan said finally. The daily routine with its decisions and deadlines had taken over again.
When he appeared with Reginald Bell before his more than 30 aides, nobody could see any sign of the crisis he had been through. With inimitable precision and without a written text he opened the meeting and presented in concise language all the vulnerable pressure points which had been exposed during the last day.
And at this same hour Deringhouse flew back to Venus.





3/ ARKON BOUND

The airglider coasted to a landing in front of the 'Arkon' cottage.
The long-stretching, pastel-coloured building harmonized with the slope which rose behind the cottage and ended in a peak more than 4000 meters high. The Valta Mountains formed a chain of soaring rugged peaks and were interspersed by numerous active volcanoes whose smoke plumes rose straight up into the atmosphere on windless days like this. The retreat was situated at an altitude of 2000 meters where the climate was most pleasant on Venus. It was the ideal location for a sanitarium in pure air.
The glider touched the ground lightly 30 meters away from the terrace which was empty despite the beautiful calm day.
The virgin forest had been pushed back around the cottage as far as 500 meters. Invisible energy-grids protected the park surrounding the house from the Venusian monsters which abounded on the planet.
Gen. Conrad Deringhouse saw only one robot standing guard at the edge of the wide terrace. His optical lens-system was turned toward Deringhouse as he started to bear down on him in the typical gait of the robots.
This mechanical man was far from harmless but he brought his power into play after going through a series of controls. His main function was to protect Thora from all dangers.
As a member of the Solar Spacefleet he was accustomed to the ubiquitous presence of robots. He stated his identification number and it took the robot less than a second to check the positronic memory bank and to receive the confirmation that the visitor was permitted to pass. And even as he granted his consent to pass in an almost human voice, he performed, aided by his lens-system, the final checks. Before Deringhouse could take the first step toward the terrace he had been investigated in more than a dozen different ways.
The wide glass-doors were closed. Not a window was open. The cottage looked deserted in the rugged beauty of the Valta Mountains.
When Deringhouse approached the entrance, the door-wings swung out and opened the way to the house. Deringhouse was already familiar with the place, as he had been Thora and Perry's guest on numerous occasions for many years.
The solarium, brightly illuminated to the farthest corner, yawned at him in emptiness. He couldn't resist the feeling that he had walked into an uninhabited house. Deringhouse looked around, unable to suppress a slight chill.
He crossed the solarium and entered the parlour behind it which Thora had furnished to her own taste. It was a mixture of Arkonide and Terranian styles which blended harmoniously.
Then he knocked at the door of the library. He was certain to find Thora there since it was her favourite room in the house. However nobody answered his knock.
For a moment Deringhouse hesitated. He suddenly remembered the warning of the Chief Physician: "You must pull yourself together, General, when you see Thora!"
He turned left to an arched stairway leading to the western side of the spacious cottage and walked up the soundless steps with a feeling of dismay. At the top of the stairs he stepped directly into a room with walls of glass facing the outside.
And there he suddenly stood before Thora without expecting it! But-could this be Perry Rhodan's wife?
An inner voice called out to Deringhouse again: "You must pull yourself together, General, when you see Thora!"
"Deringhouse, you...?"
He heard her voice and recognized her by its sound as he stood gazing at an ancient woman with a withered small face and thousands of tiny wrinkles. Her blood-drained, wizened lips attempted to smile as she extended an almost transparent hand covered by a skin resembling parchment.
My God! Deringhouse thought, shaken more by compassion than horror, as he pressed Thora's hand, she was so young and beautiful only a year ago!
"What a pleasure it is for me that you come to visit me, Deringhouse. Please sit down!"
He was unable to force a conventional smile. The situation made Deringhouse feel extremely uncertain. Had Rhodan neglected to prepare her for his visit despite his assurance?
"Oh yes," she said, "my husband has promised me a surprise. It would have something to do with your visit. What's this all about, Deringhouse?"
At this moment an amazing change came over Thora. The pale colour of her face and her hands began to look more normal. Almost from one second to the next the multitude of little wrinkles on her face seemed to diminish. She blossomed out again and the faint reflection of a glow in her gorgeous Arkonide eyes inspired the still doubt-plagued Deringhouse.
When he saw this wonderful and astounding metamorphosis of Thora, Deringhouse exclaimed with almost youthful enthusiasm: "Thora, I've come to fly to Arkon with you. Perry Rhodan thinks you're the right person to negotiate the purchase of 100 battleships from the Robot Brain."
Deringhouse, who could fly the smallest pursuitship as well as a super-battleship of the Imperium class, had not been promoted to general because of his friendly relations with Rhodan. He had earned his rank by hard work and was at home in every science except the psychology of women. Here he felt as helpless as a baby.
Yet he had unconsciously acted with so much skill that many a psychologist would have been envious had they been able to witness his conversation.
The tone in which he said it sounded so true and appealing and his words were enhanced by his beaming freckled face.
"I can go to Arkon...?" Was Thora aware that she had spoken in her mother tongue? She was gripped by exhilaration which tended to make her the young, fascinating and beautiful woman again who was admired without guile as Perry Rhodan's companion by billions of people.
Dr. Villnoess had also foreseen this condition and had provided Deringhouse with recommendations for coping with such a case. "General, be careful that Thora undertakes her task with equanimity. Don't forget that she is exhausted and that too much excitement can be dangerous for her."
With this in mind Deringhouse continued with instinctive finesse. "Thora, the flight to Arkon and especially the negotiations with the Giant Brain won't be easy. May I give you a brief outline how your husband..."