"Ken Rand - Here There Be Humans" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rand Ken)

тАЬIf you stay suited all the time. Or inside. ItтАЩsтАФitтАЩs too much, Sula, all this
growth. Makes me dizzy.тАЭ

тАЬIs it? Too much?тАЭ

If First MтАЩlay had gone native, then MтАЩlay haddnтАЩt thought it was too much.
He had the window made; not standard issue. He liked the view. Why did DтАЩfif
and the local staff and techs renew their tours?

тАЬDonтАЩt flash false color at me, Sula. In two generations, weтАЩve found few
resources, scarce. Too toxic to colonize, the gravity wellтАЩs too deep, tourism is nil.
All you see are rich types who can afford to travel this far outsystem and who like to
rough it. Few of those. All this planetтАЩs good for is a prison colony. Or do you like
the native food the farms send up to orbital to supplement hydroponics?тАЭ

тАЬAnd the humans?тАЭ

тАЬRight, donтАЩt forget your romantic archaeologists who get fluttery over fused
metal lumps and cryptic symbols in stone and city-sized radioactive slag heaps
andтАФтАЭ

тАЬYou donтАЩt like humans?тАЭ

тАЬNo pouches, no color, too many fingers, too few thumbsтАФтАЭ

тАЬThey built cities everywhereтАФтАЭ

тАЬThey destroyed it all. A dead end. I donтАЩt understand MтАЩlayтАЩs obsession.тАЭ
He added quietly: тАЬOr yours.тАЭ

They arrived at the point in the jungle where MтАЩlayтАЩs last signal had come
from. AтАЩcom knelt, tried to see past the evidence markers YтАЩlorтАЩs forensics people
had placed. Markers stood between footprints, a flag marked the last footprint, and a
thin string extended into the undergrowth in the direction MтАЩlay would have gone had
he taken another stepтАФwhich he hadnтАЩt.

тАЬHe just disappeared,тАЭ AтАЩcom said. тАЬHow could he justтАФтАЭ his pouch
fluttered in frustration, тАЬтАФdisappear?тАЭ

тАЬDonтАЩt go mystical, Sula. Fey-winged Greids didnтАЩt whisk him off to the
Cosmic Nest. I favor CarтАЩs idea.тАЭ

тАЬAnimals? No tracks.тАЭ

тАЬLook at the overhang.тАЭ

AтАЩcom stood and contemplated the twisted branches of at least four tree
types, all within an arms reach. Gnarled vines snaked up into the dark canopy that
blotted out the sun. The narrow muddy trail took footprints well, but the jungle floor