"006 The Mutant Corps" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

"Just a moment, please," Adams demanded "What was the matter a while ago with our machine gunner? Where did the two men in the strange looking suits disappear to? And why was it not possible to kill them with his machine gun?"

"YouТre asking a, lot of questions all at once. JimТs machine gun fire was ineffective because bullets were absorbed by an energy screen. Nothing has happened to the two men. They have returned to our spaceship, to bring it here. We intend to get out of here as quickly as possible. If I talk with our captain, IТm sure heТll bring you to Tokyo."

"What am I supposed to do in Tokyo, Marshall. I could have continued my flight from there, and then I would have had to change planes once more in Peking. Am I not much closer to my destination here?"

"Here in the savannah at the foot of the Kardamom, mountain range?"

"Why arenТt we completely frank with each other, Marshall? You had your plans for me ever since we met in London. IsnТt it so?"

"ThatТs right. When did you realize this?"

"My brain must have suffered. quite a lot during the last fourteen years, but now I can see quite clearly that you are no less stupid than I am. We had both the same goals, but still neither of us knew of the otherТs intentions."

"ThatТs where you are wrong. I knew about it, all right."

"You knew about my plans? Since when?"

"Ever since you left prison. We were very much interested in you, Mr. Adams. You will understand everything as soon as Mr. Rhodan has informed you of all the details about our unfavourable financial situation."

"And why did you think of me, of all people?"

"You were the first person we should have thought of you are undoubtedly the greatest financial genius of all time. It is our good fortune that they let you go on living after that sensational trial. Several newspaper reports from the year 1957 came to our attention, and we have studied them, as well as your past, most thoroughly. Rhodan decided to obtain an amnesty for you and to keep an eye on your activities and direct them in such a manner that you would soon find your way to us."

"Just a minute. I was pardoned because of good conduct!"

"You may call it that if you want to. In any case, agents have speeded up the decision of the Minister of the interior through Arkonide technical means. We have a psycho-apparatus that influences a persons willingness to make decisions by applying high frequencies. You saw this instrument in action when Kakuta disarmed the gangsters."

"ThatТs all very fine," objected Adams with the last threads of a healthy distrustful attitude. "You have introduced me to a genuine teleporter in the person of Mr. Kakuta. You have demonstrated within a few minutes the most incredible technical facts; but there is still your assertion that you already knew of my plans when I was leaving the prison. It is true that I have read all kinds of newspaper reports dealing with Perry Rhodan during the last week. I have come to admire him, and the desire grew in me to serve this man, if only the opportunity ever arose. But let me tell you that I have not spoken to any living human soul about my intentions."

"But you have thought of them, and that was sufficient for me.Е"Once again Adams seemed at a loss for words. The smiling Japanese helped him. "John Marshall is our second Сpara.Т That explains everything, Mr. Adams. He is a telepath. He knows what is in your mind as long as you think very intently of something."

"This is more than I can take. IТm no youngster any more. You should be a bit more considerate. This is absolutely overwhelming for me."

"If you enter Perry RhodanТs. services, you will have to get used to quite a few apparently incredible things. It has been our experience so far that people come to accept these things very quickly. Ah, here are our friends. Let me have your briefcase, please, Mr. Adams."ThatТs out of the, question. IТm not old enough to need a porter for a few pounds of paper money. By the way, there is one thing that you neglected to explain to me, although in the meantime I found the solution on my own. DidnТt the gangster boss tell you that his destination was Rangoon? But nevertheless you knew that he was going to land here. Did you find that out by way of telepathy too?"

"ThatТs right. I was merely bluffing when I was apparently so willing to negotiate with them. All I needed was a brief conversation with the man to determine his real intentions. As soon as I learned that he planned to land west of Madura, all I had to do was inform our friends in the Gobi Desert. They then took care of all the rest."In the meantime Marshall Adams and Kakuta were on their way to the Arkonide space sphere. The landed, and the men could make out the figure of Rhodan waiting for them. When they were hardly 500 feet from the ship, Perry Rhodan met them. For the first time, the master of the Third Power and his Secretary of the Treasury faced each other.

"Welcome, Mr. Adams. IТm happy that you have found your way to us."

"It was a very complicated path, Mr. Rhodan but I was very happy to come to you. I canТt stand the lazy life. That was what was most difficult for me to bear during the fourteen years of my confinement. You seem to have some financial worries, IsnТt it so?"



CHAPTER FOUR


New York.

Walking north from the corner of Broadway and Fifth Avenue one passes a twenty-two story Office building constructed in the early thirties. Its facade is almost completely obstructed by the colourful neon signs of at least a dozen of its tenants. No passersby would even give this ugly array a glance, unless he had some special reason to. It is just like any number of unattractive business buildings in Manhattan.