"Arthur Tofte - The Day the Earth Stood Still" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tofte Arthur)

information about these Earthlings. It was why he and Gnut had learned at
least one of their languages, English, so they could communicate with them.
As he fell, he knew he was hurt badly. Nothing like this had every happened to
him before. Yet he was not alarmed.
Only half-conscious, he sent a quick mental message to his companion, Gnut.
"Stay where you are," he said. "Stand. Do not move. Watch and listen. I'll be
back."
Although still only partly conscious, he was able to follow the progress of
the soldiers who were rushing him to a place where presumably his wound would
be treated. The vehicle they drove was pathetically primitive, noisy and
ill-smelling. Even though they were accompanied by a screaming blast of sound,
which he supposed was meant to clear the way, they moved very slowly.
By the time they reached their destination, Klaatu was fully conscious. He was
put on a rolling bed and rushed into a big building that had an antiseptic
odor. What a lot of wasteful antlike activity. How inefficient. How crude, how
primitive were the ways of these people.
He was taken along corridors to a lifting device. He felt himself going
upward, From the lift he was taken to a room. He was transferred to a
stationary bed. Two men stripped him of his silver body suit. Several men and
two women came in and started to examine him.
"See here," one of the men said. "The bullet wound is at this spot. It's still
in there. From the looks of it, very little blood was lost. Oddly enough,
already the wound seems to be healing. Amazing! I've never seen anything like
it."
One of the other men spoke up. "Don't you think we should go after the bullet?
We can't leave it in him."
Klaatu smiled to himself. These poor Earthlings still had not developed their
minds to the point where they could control the healing of their own bodies.
"There is no need to take out the bullet," Klaatu said in a soft, calm voice
to the startled doctors. "My body will heal itself. Now I would like to be
left alone to rest."
The group of medical men looked at each other, thoroughly mystified. One of
them, apparently their chief, nodded to the alien and motioned for the others
to leave.
"I want you to know," he said, "that your being shot was a tragic accident.
The man was mentally deranged. He is in custody."
"Yes, I know," Klaatu replied.
"If there is anything you want or need," the doctor said, "merely press the
button at the edge of your bed."
"I won't need anything."
When all had gone except for one young woman in a white uniform, Klaatu smiled
at her. "You may go too. I'll be all right."
The girl scurried out.
As soon as she left, Klaatu closed his eyes. His mind reached out and touched
Gnut's.
"I am in what they call a hospital," he said. "People of Earth cannot heal
themselves. They need doctors and nurses to tend them."
"You are not in danger?" Gnut asked.
"No, my friend. This may all be for the best. Tomorrow I'll be fully
recovered. I hope to learn more about these people."