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

theyтАЩre friendly or hostile. I canтАЩt assume that they are hostile and I darenтАЩt assume that theyтАЩre not.
WeтАЩve got to be cautious. The Terrestrial authorities wonтАЩt stand for any rough handling of natives
without adequate reason.тАЭ He sniffed disgustedly.
тАЬAnd that means if they are hostile we must run away or else sit here until they make our
reasons adequate.тАЭ
тАЬI propose,тАЭ offered Kli Yang, brightly, тАЬthat we open the starboard lock and whistle them a
little tune. When one of them comes up weтАЩll jerk him inside and let him look us over. If he
displays understandable fondness for us we will kiss him. If he does not weтАЩll eject him, in pieces.тАЭ
Pr-r-r-ang! The loud clang came from the stern, echoed and re-echoed all over the vessel.
McNulty winced as he visualised one of his precious tubes springing from its patent socket. He
opened his mouth to say something, shut it as a bellow of rage came from the engine-room. The
next instant a terrific crump burst in the rear and the whole ship shot twenty yards forward in a
belly-slide.
 Helping the sprawling skipper to his feet, Jay Score said, тАЬLooks like Chief Andrews has settled
the question. NobodyтАЩs going to fool around with his pipes!тАЭ
An angry muttering continued to trickle out of the engine-room, a steady, determined rumble
like that of a small volcano held in check. McNulty knew better than to try to tackle the outraged
chief in his present bellicose mood.
Looking out the nearest port just as its light shot through once more, McNulty spotted a
retreating mechanism almost caught by the stabbing beam. Frowning, he spoke to Jay Score rather
than to the rest of us.
тАЬWe have a choice of two moves. Either we must blast off or stop them meddling with the boat.
The first may mean losing the missing lifeboat for keeps. By the looks of things, the second will
mean trouble aplenty.тАЭ His roving gaze found Steve Gregory. тАЬSteve, go and have one more try at
raising that lifeboat. If you canтАЩt get it weтАЩll radio instructions in the hope that they can receive
them, after which weтАЩll open a lock.тАЭ
тАЬRight, skipper.тАЭ Steve departed, one brow still more or less on his forehead. He returned within
five minutes. тАЬ Not a squeak.тАЭ
тАЬHave your guns ready, men. Move one of those lights into the starboard lock and aim it on the
door-gap.тАЭ He stopped as the Marathon gave a sudden lurch, moving through an arc of ten degrees,
then sluggishly rolling back onto an even keel.тАЭ And mount a pom-pom beside the lightтАЭ
His listeners scattered at top speed, leaving him with Jay Score and the two engineers who were
shifting the search-light.
тАЬWhew!тАЭ breathed McNulty. тАЬI donтАЩt care to think of the power that can roll our tonnage the
way itтАЩs just been rolled.тАЭ
Clink-clink-clunk! The noise rang gonglike through the MarathonтАЩs hull and sounded loudly in
the armoury where I was busy doling out lethal persuaders. Came a second lurch, more violent this
time. The arc was at least fifteen degrees, but again the ship reacted by swinging upright.
Running out with an armload of belts far the pom-pom, I found Jay Score waiting by the inner
door of the lock. The ship settled with a shudder. Jay didnтАЩt say anything, just stood there with his
rubber-soled feet braced firmly on the steel checkerplates of the floor, his huge form erect, his
glowing orbs watching the gradually turning disc of the outer door.
With everything ready, the weighty door wound inward along its worm, came to the end, drew
free like a great metal plug. The control arm rolled the heavy mass aside and simultaneously the
searchlight filled the gap with an eye-searing glare.
Many scufflings, clankings and scrapings sounded in the dimness beyond but for a long time
nothing appeared in the opening. Probably they thought the new gap was nothing but another
observation-port. Hushed with expectancy; we stood and waited, but still nothing showed itself.
Greatly daring, a Flettner computator named Drake stepped into the column of light, walked
slowly along the treadless stepping-strip at the bottom of the circular door gap, stood on the outer