"Donald E. Wollheim - The Secret of the ninth Planet" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wollheim Donald A)

realized that they were to be thus guarded everywhere they went. Obviously, the
possibility that the builders of the Sun-traps might have agents on Earth had
occurred to the officers.
Russell Clyde, the young astronomer, was among their group. He walked over to
Burl and shoved out a hand. "Glad to have you with us, Burl. This is going to be
quite a trip!"
Clyde was about Burl's size. He had an engagingly boyish air about him, and Burl
took a liking to him. Burl had heard of him before. For the young man, while
still a college student, had formulated a remarkable new theory of the
composition of galactic formations which had instantly focused the attention of
the scientific world upon him. This theory had been taken up by the gray-beards
of the scientific world and had survived the test of their debates. Now
associated with the great Mount Palomar Observatory, Russell Clyde had continued
to build a reputation in astronomical circles.
"You're one of the expedition then?" asked Burl, shaking his hand.
The redhead nodded. "Yep. They're taking me as their chief astrogator. And don't
think it's because I'm any great shakes at it, either! It's just that I'm still
young enough to take the kind of shoving around these high brass figure we're
going to get. Boy, have they got it figured!"
Burl chuckled. "Ah, you're kidding, Dr. Clyde. You've probably been in on this
from the beginning."
The other shook his head vigorously. "Nope. It was going to be Merckmann's baby,
but when they realize they have a fight on their hands, they always look for
young blood. And, say, cut out this 'Doctor' stuff. Call me Russ. We're going to
share quarters, you know."
"How do you know that?" asked a tall, rather sharp-featured man who had
overheard them. "The colonel will assign quarters."
"I say he will... and you can bet on that," snapped Russell Clyde. He waved a
hand in introduction. "This is Harvey Caton, one of our electronic wizards."
Caton nodded, but before he could continue the discussion, Lockhart rounded them
all up, packed them into a couple of station wagons, guards and all, and they
were off.
The next days were hectic ones. By car and plane the group was transferred to
the large, closely guarded base in Wyoming where the secret anti-gravity ship
was waiting. Burl did not see the ship right away. First, he was introduced to
all the other members of the crew, and given a mass of papers to study which
outlined the basic means of the new space drive, and which detailed the opinions
and suggestions of various experts as to methods of procedure and courses of



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action. He was subjected to various space medical tests to determine his
reactions under differing pressures and gravities. Although it proved a
strenuous and exhausting routine, he emerged from the tests with flying colors.
The expedition was commanded, as he had known, by Colonel Lockhart who would
also act as chief pilot. The famous military flier proved to be a forceful
personality with a great skill at handling people. He knew how to get the most