"Eric Frank Russel - Mechanistria" - читать интересную книгу автора (Russell Eric Frank)

seemed to recall a long-gone war far, far back in the dark ages, when the Japanese refused to admit
they had any men missing and callously declared them dead.
But it wasnтАЩt long before we learned that corporate mentalities have advantages as well as
disadvantages. We blew free from the black and crimson ground, shot skyward for the last time on
this cockeyed world, burst though the clouds and promptly encountered four long, black
rocketships. They were vessels such as weтАЩd seen previously and they squirted along in perfect
line.
There was no question of the leader spotting us and issuing orders to the others. They saw us
simultaneously, reacted simultaneously, moving in remarkable and impressive unison. It made me
think of a major scientific mystery, namely, that of how a flock of birds often alter course, change
formation, wheel, form and turn like creatures governed by one mutually shared mind. These ships
duplicated the bird trick. They switched course together, cut into our path in echelon formation,
bathed us in the same useless rays that had failed to affect us before but again got Steve Gregory
mad. I had never witnessed such perfect teamwork.
It did them no good, did us no harm. Had their rays functioned as they were expected to do weтАЩd
soon have been a smoking heap on the ground beneath. Diving through the aura, we zoomed on
toward free space. They followed, changing to line-abreast with mathematical precision, nosing
upward at identical angles as though one man were handling all four by remote control. Together
they blew their auxiliaries, spurted along our trail, narrowed the margin between us.
тАЬPretty fast,тАЭ commented Jay. тАЬAbout as fast as we are when running in normal drive. IтАЩd
certainly like to have a look at their engines and pilots.тАЭ
 тАЬIтАЩve no desire to see them,тАЭ grunted McNulty. тАЬIтАЩve had enough of them for one trip:тАЩ He
bawled into the engine-room phone, the Marathon heeled over, plunged sickeningly, shot upward
again. Glassware broke in the galley and somebody offered loud and vulgar opinions about ships
that dipped and captains who made them dip. The pursuing quartet heeled, plunged and rose
behind us in unison.
Greenish rays reached out for us once more, flickered without avail, then four streaks of fire
flashed by on one side. They even missed by precisely the same margin!
тАЬThatтАЩs enough to be going on with,тАЭ declared McNulty, not inclined to tempt fate. He gave the
Marathon an S-turn, said curtly, тАЬStraps!тАЭ
WeтАЩd barely time to jump into harness before he threw her in Flettner drive. I couldnтАЩt see them
because you canтАЩt use the observation-ports while prostrate, but the quartet behind must have
shrunk to vague dots in the space of one heartbeat. At uncatchable velocity we went out of that
solar system, skimming by the water-world of Varga so fast that nobody saw it. That lump of
cosmic plasma and its amphibious inhabitants would have to wait until some other trip.
All the way home the Martians kept to the starboard lock enjoying its three pounds pressure and
their everlasting chess. Jay spent much of his time down in the cargohold along with Steve-
presumably nursing the dumb coffin-but the Martians did chivy him into having seventeen games
of which he won three. They gloated and published the figures all over the ship.
Wilson remained in his cabin brooding. I wasnтАЩt foolish enough to ask any questions or try to
comfort him. The clumsy warriors of Mechanistria had converted his first few plates to splinters
while cavorting around the ship, but his subsequent shots were large in number and beautiful in
execution. He was determined to worry them safely home.
Two cruisers met us outside Terrestrial atmosphere, escorted us down. The old, familiar browns,
blues and greens of Earth made the loveliest sight IтАЩve seen, though the Martians still preferred
dirty pink and said so. They were arguing with some heat over a lost pawn when we landed with
the whole world watching and listening via the international network.
McNulty made the speech expected of him. тАЬWe have had a somewhat difficult time ...
unquestioning hostility that is much to be deplored ... this uncomfortable episode:тАЩ And so on and
so on.