"Russell, Eric Frank - Symbiotica" - читать интересную книгу автора (Russell Eric Frank)

on real soil. But the summons did not come.

In the end, Brennand griped, "The skipper is slow-
what's holding him?"

"No idea."

I had another look at his leprous face. It was awful.
Judging by his expression he wasn't fanatically in love with
my features either.

I said, "You know how cautious McNulty is. Guess that
spree on Mechanistria has persuaded him to count a
hundred before issuing an order."

"Yes," agreed Brennand. "I'll go forward and find out
what's cooking."

He mooched along the passage. I couldn't go with him
because at this stage it was my duty to be ready at the
armoury. You never could tell when they'd come for the
stuff therein, and they had a habit of coming on the run.

Brennand had only just disappeared around the end corner
when sure enough the exploring party barged in shouting
for equipment. Six of them. Molders, an engineer; Jepson,
a navigating officer; Sam Hignett, our Negro surgeon; young
Wilson, and two Martians, Kli Dreen and Kli Morg.

"Hah, lucky again?" I growled at Sam, tossing him his
needle ray and sundry oddments.

"Yes, sergeant " His very white teeth glistened in his
dark face as he smiled with satisfaction. "The skipper says
nobody is to go out afoot until first we've scouted around
in number four lifeboat"

Kli Morg got his needler in a long, snaky tentacle, waved
the dangerous thing around with bland disregard for every-
one's safety, and chirruped, "Give Dreen and me our
helmets."

"Helmets?" I glanced from him to the Terrestrials. "You
guys want spacesuits, too?"

"No," replied Jepson. "The stuff outside is up to fifteen
pounds and so rich in oxygen you whizz around thinking
you're merely ambling."

"Mud!" snapped Kli Morg. "Just like mud! Give us