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

and teleport one across to you. It is self-powered and fully Automatic.'
'You needn't rise sir. Just toss the box out of your 'copter into the air. We'll take it from there.' Then, to James: Take
it, Jim.'
'Oh? You can lift large masses against much gravity?' The alien was all attention. 'I have not know that such power
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existed. I will observe with keen interest.' 'I have it,' James said. 'Here it is.'
'Thank you, sir,' Garlock said to the alien. Then, to Lola; *You've been reading these - these Hodellians?'
'The officer in the helicopter and those in the fighters, yes. Most of them are Gunther Firsts.' 'Good girl. The set's
coming to life - watch it.'
The likeness of the alien being became clear upon the screen, visible from the waist up. While humanoid, the
creature was very far indeed from being human. He - at least, it had masculine rudimentary nipples - had double
shoulders and four arms. His skin was vividly intense cobalt blue. His ears were black, long, and highly dirigible. His
eyes, a flaming red in color, were large and vertically slitted, like a cat's. He had no hair at all. His nose was large
and Roman; his jaw was square, almost jutting; his bright yellow teeth were clean and sharp.
After a minute of study the alien said, 'Although your vessel is so entirely alien that nothing even remotely like it is
on record, you four are completely human and, if of compatible type, acceptable. Are there any other living beings
aboard with you?'
'Excepting micro-organisms, none.'
'Such life is of no importance. Approach, please, one of you, and grasp with a hand the projecting metal knob.'
With a little trepidation, Garlock did so. He felt no unusual sensation at the contact.
'All four of you are compatible and we accept you. This finding is surprising in the extreme, as you are the first
human beings of record who grade higher than what you call Gunther Two ... or Gunther Second?'
'Either one; the terms are interchangeable.'
'You have minds of tremendous development and power; definitely superior even to my own. However, there is no
doubt that physically you are perfectly compatible with our humanity. Your blood will be of great benefit to it. You
may land. Goodbye.'
'Wait, please. How about landing conventions? And visiting restrictions and so on? And may we keep this box? We
will be glad to trade you something for it, if we have anything you would like to have.'
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'Ah, I should have realized that our customs would be widely different from ours. Since you have been examined and
accepted, there are no restrictions - you will not act against humanity's good. Land where you please, go where you
please, do what you please, for as long as you please. Take up permanent residence or leave as soon as you please.
Marry if you like, or simply breed - your unions with this planet's humanity will be fertile. Keep the box without
payment. As Guardians of Humanity we Arpalones do whatever small favors we can. Have I been clear?'
'Abundantly so. Thank you, sir." 'Now I really must go. Goodbye.'
Garlock glanced into his plate. The jets had disappeared, and the helicopter was falling rapidly away. He wiped his
brow.
'Well, I'll be damned,' he said. 'Damned and blasted,' Belle agreed. 'Make it three damns - in spades,' said James. And
Lola just sat speechless, staring at the rapidly-vanishing helicopter.
Garlock was the first to recover his poise. 'Lola, do you check me that this planet is named Hodell, that it is
populated by human beings exactly like us, that these creatures - Arpalones - are, in some way or other, Guardians of
Humanity?'
'Exactly, except they aren't "creatures". They're humanoids, and very fine people.'
'You'd think so, of course ... correction accepted. Well, let's take advantage of their extraordinarily hospitable
invitation and go down. Cut the rope, Jim.'
The airport was very large, and was divided into several sections, each of which was equipped with runways and/or
other landing facilities to suit one class of craft - propeller jobs, jets, or helicopters. There were even a few structures
that looked like rocket pits.
'Where are you doing to sit down, Jim? With the 'copters or over by the blast-pits?'
'With the 'copters, I think. Since I can place her to within a couple of inches, I'll put her squarely into that far corner,