"Manly Wade Wellman - The Devils Asreroid" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wellman Manly Wade)

"Hell?" repeated the Martian reproachfully. "But it iss a ssplendid miniaturre worrldтАФnineteen of yourr
miless in diameterr, with arrtificial grravity centerr to hold airr and waterr; ssown, too, with Terresstrrial
plantss. And companionss of yourr own rrace."




"You! They drive you out?" A thick, unsure voice accosted him.

"There's a catch," rejoined Parr. "Something you Martian swine think is a heap big joke. I can see that,
captain."

The tufted head wagged. "Underr trreaty between Marrs and Earrth, judgess of one planet cannot
ssentence to death crriminalss frrom the otherr, not even forr murrderrтАФ"

"It wasn't for murder!" exploded Parr. "I struck in self-defense!"

"I cannot arrgue the point. Yourr victim wass a high official perrhapss inssolent, but you Earrth folk
forrget how eassy ourr crraniumss crrack underr yourr blowss. Anyway, you do not dieтАФyou arre
exiled. Prreparre to dissembarrk."

Behind them three Martian space-hands, sprawling like squids near the control-board, made flutelike
comments to each other. The tentacle of each twiddled an electro-automatic pistol.

"Rremove tunic and bootss," directed the skipper. "You will not need them. Quickly, ssirr!"

Parr glared at the levelled weapons of the space-hands, then shucked his upper garment and kicked off
his boots. He stood up straight and lean-muscled, in a pair of duck shorts. His fists clenched at his sides.

"Now we grround," the skipper continued, and even as he spoke there came the shock of the landfall.
The inner panel opened, then the outer hatch. Sunlight beat into the chamber. "Goodbye," said the
skipper formally. "You have thirrty ssecondss, Earrth time, to walk clearr of our blasstss beforre we take
off. Marrch."

Parr strode out upon dark, rich soil. He sensed behind him the silent quiver of Martian laughter, and felt a
new ecstasy of hate for his late guards, their race, and the red planet that spawned them. Not until he
heard the rumble and swish of the ship's departure did he take note of the little world that was now his
prison home.

At first view it wasn't really bad. At second, it wasn't really strange. The sky, by virtue of an Earth-type
atmosphere, shone blue with wispy clouds, and around the small plain on which he stood sprouted
clumps and thickets of green tropical trees. Heathery ferns, with white and yellow edges to their leaves,
grew under his bare feet. The sun, hovering at zenith, gave a July warmth to the air. The narrow horizon
was very near, of course, but the variety of thickets and the broken nature of the land beyond kept it
from seeming too different from the skyline of Earth. Parr decided that he might learn to endure, even to
enjoy. Meanwhile, what about the other Terrestrials exiled here? And, as Parr wondered, he heard their
sudden, excited voices.

Threats and oaths rent the balmy air. Through the turmoil resounded solid blows. Parr broke into a run,