"Williamson, Jack - 02 - The Humanoid Touch" - читать интересную книгу автора (Williamson Jack)

"It wasn't easy, sir." Brong squirmed and blinked. "If you'll let me explainЧ"

"Do that to the shipwatch." The Admiral's grin turned cold. "I imagine they'll want to look at the wreck of your lander. If they can't find it, you're in trouble."

His image went out.

"I won't be the only one in trouble." Brong stood up with a tired little sigh and asked to use his father's secret room. "Not. when the humanoids get here." In the hall, he paused beside that red-winking light. "You've got my message, Crewman. The shipwatch will say I lied about the lander. But what I said about the humanoidsЧthat's all true. Remember it, Crewman, and I hope you can keep them out."

He went inside the room and closed the door behind him. Three shipwatch officers were there in half an hour with orders for his arrest. His father let them in and led them back to knock on the door. The red light kept flashing, but Brong didn't answer. The officers drew their laserguns, and his father opened the door.

Brong was gone.


4

Lifecrew An organization formed to alert and guard the people of Kai against the humanoids; influential once, but later discredited by calling too many false alarms.

The shipwatch men didn't want to believe what his father said. They drew maps of the rooms and tapped on all the walls and frowned at the blinking light and holoed everything. They yelled at his father and Nurse Vesh and even at him, asking the same things over and over, always angrier.

The room was eighty meters underground, they kept saying. Carved out of solid granite, with only one doorway. If the sub-

ject had actually entered it through that door, and if he really hadn't come out through the doorЧthen why wasn't he still inside?

His father grew pale and trembly, his voice turning sharper and the scar shining whiter. He always said he didn't know.

"I wouldn't hide the man," he kept insisting. "It's true I knew him on Malili, but he never was my friend. A worthless halfbreed. I never believed a word he said, and I can't imagine how he got away."

They left at last, but then the Admiral called.

^'Crewman Kyrone, I'm getting reports I can't understand." His broad, red face was hard and watchful. "I think you had better explain them."

"Sorry, sir." His father looked sick. "I can't explain anything."

^ "Maybe I can." The Admiral leaned alertly forward. "Though you'll deny it. You want support for your dying Life-crew. This wild tale of invading humanoids-"

"I didn't make it up," his father muttered. "I can't believe how Brong said he got back, but his story frightens me."

The Admiral waited, his meaty features almost friendly.

"Always too much I never knew about him." His father was sweating. "Half Leleyo, you know, and half mechanical now. Hardly human at all. I never understood him."

"Crewman, I wish I could understand you." The Admiral's cold half-smile was fading. "Perhaps I will, when I learn how Brong left your place. In the meantime, I imagine this farce will kill what's left of your Lifecrew-"

He reached to punch out.

"Wait, sir!" his father begged. "If the humanoids are really established on the Dragon, we're in danger here. The Lifecrew has to go onЧ"

"I'll see to that." The Admiral's voice was short and frosty. "If I ever believe the humanoids really caused my brother's death."

His hard, red face flickered out.