"E. E. Doc Smith - The Galaxy Primes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith E. E. Doc)

'No. Nothing like that would be any of my business.'
Knahr and the four gunners disappeared; the helicopters began to lumber away.
'Well, that helps - I don't think,' Garlock thought, glumly. 'What a world! Back to the Main?'
In the Main, after a long and fruitless discussion, Garlock called Governor Atterlin, who did not know anything
about any faster-than-light drive, either. There was one, of course, since it took only a few days or a few weeks to go
from one system to another; but Hodell didn't have any such ships. No ordinary planet did. They were owned and
operated by people who called themselves 'Engineers'. He had no idea where these Engineers came from; they didn't
say.
Garlock then tried to get in touch with the Arpalone inspector who had checked the Pleiades in, and could not find
out even who it had been. The inspector then on duty neither knew
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or cared anything about either faster-than-light drives or Engineers. Such things were none of his business.
'What difference would it make, anyway?' James asked. 'No drive that takes "a few weeks" for an intra-galactic hop
is ever going to get us back to Tellus.'
True enough; but if there is any such thing I want to know how it works. How are you coming?'
'I'll finish up tomorrow easily enough.'
Tomorrow came, and James finished up, but he did not find any familiar pattern of galactic arrangement. The other
three watched James set up for another try for Earth.
'You don't think we'll ever get back, do you, Clee?' Belle asked.
'Not right away, no. But someday, yes. I've got the germ of an idea. Maybe three or four more hops will give me
something to work on.'
T hope so,' James said, 'because here goes nothing,' and he snapped the red switch.
It was not nothing. Number Two was another Arpalone inspector and another planet very much like Hodell. It
proved to be so far away from both Earth and Hodell, however, that no useful similarities were found in any two of
the three sets of charts.
Number Three was equally unproductive of helpful results. James did, however, improve his technique of making
galactic charts; and he and Garlock designed and built a high-speed comparator. Thus the time required per stop was
reduced from days to hours.
Number Four produced a surprise. When Garlock touched the knob of the testing-box he yanked his hand away
before it had really made contact. It was like touching a high-voltage wire.
'You are incompatible with our humanity and must not land,' the inspector ruled.
'Suppose we blast you and your jets out of the air and land anyway?' Garlock asked.
"That is perhaps possible,' the Arpalone agreed, equably enough. 'We are not invincible. However, it would do you
no good. If any one of you four leaves that so-heavily-insulated
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vessel in the atmosphere of this planet you will surely die. Not quickly, but slowly and with difficulty.'
'But you haven't tested me\' Belle said. 'Do you mean they'll attack us on sight?'
There is no need to test more than one. Anyone who could live near any of you could not live on this planet. Nor will
anyone attack you. Don't you know what the thought "incompatible" means?'
'With us it does not mean death.'
'Here it does, since it refers to life forces. The types are mutually, irreconcilably antagonistic. Your life forces are
very strong. Thus, no matter how peaceable your intentions may be, many of our human beings would die before you
would; but you would not live to get back to your ship if you landed it and left its protective insulation.'
'Why? What is it? How does it work?' Belle demanded. 'It is not my business to know; only to tell. I have told. You
will go away now.'
Oarlock's eyes narrowed in concentration. 'Belle, can you blast? I mean, could you if you wanted to?' 'Certainly ...
but I don't want to, Clee!' 'I don't, either - and I'll file that one away to chew on some night when I'm hungry, too.
Take her up, Jim, and try another shot'
Numbers Five to Nine were neither productive nor eventful. All were, like the others, Hodell all over again, in
everything fundamental. One was so far advanced that almost all of its humanity were Seconds; one so backward - or