"Arcady And Boris Strugatsky. Prisoners of Power" - читать интересную книгу автора

softly, but vehemently, about something. Noticing Mac, Zef said quickly:
"Enough!" and rose. Scratching his red beard and opening his eyes wide, he
shouted: "Where did you disappear to, massaraksh? Who gave you permission to
leave? You've got to work if you want some grub!"
Mac became furious. For the first time in his life he found himself
shouting at someone at the top of his lungs.
"Damn you, Zef! Can't you think of anything else but your stomach? All
I ever hear from you is grub, grub, grub! You can have my rations if it will
make you feel any better!"
He flung down the pot, grabbed his knapsack, and put his hands through
the straps. Stunned by the unexpected acoustic blow, Zef stared at him. Then
Zef's roaring laughter rolled through the forest. Vepr joined in, and Maxim,
unable to restrain himself, laughed, too, somewhat crestfallen.
"Massaraksh. Boy, some voice you've got there!" Zef turned to Vepr.
"You mark my words. OK now, enough. On your feet!" he yelled. "Let's go, if
you want some... some grub this evening."
They shouted and laughed for a while but then quieted down and pushed
on through the forest. With demonic energy Maxim cleared land mines,
destroyed coaxial machine guns, and unscrewed warheads from antiaircraft
rockets. More firing, hissing streams of tear gas, the repulsive stench of
rotting carcasses of animals killed by submachine guns. They became dirtier,
angrier, and more ragged, and Zef urged Maxim onward: "Keep going, keep
going if you want to eat!" Poor Vepr, utterly exhausted, barely dragged
himself behind them, leaning for support on his mine detector.
During these wearisome hours Maxim grew increasingly disgusted with
Zef. So when Zef suddenly let out a roar and dropped through the ground,
Maxim was delighted. Wiping his sweaty forehead with his grimy hand, he
walked up to the spot leisurely and halted at the edge of a dark narrow
crevice covered with grass. It was deep and pitch-black, and cold, damp air
drifted from it. Nothing was visible; only a crunching and indistinct
swearing rose from the hidden trap.
Vepr hobbled over to it, looked down, and asked Maxim: "Is he down
there? What happened to him?"
"Zef!" called Maxim, bending over. "Zef, where are you?"
Zef's voice rumbled from the trench. "Come on down! Jump, it's soft
here."
Maxim looked at Vepr. Vepr shook his head.
"That's not for me," he said. "You jump, and I'll drop a rope down to
you."
"Who's there?" they heard Zef roaring from below. "I'll shoot,
massaraksh!"
Maxim dropped his legs over the side of the crevice, gave himself a
push, and jumped. Almost instantly he found himself ankle-deep in soft dirt.
He sat down. Zef was somewhere nearby. To adjust to the darkness, Maxim sat
with eyes closed for several seconds.
"Mac, come over here. There's someone here," called Zef. "Vepr!" he
shouted. "Jump!"
Vepr replied that he was dog-tired and would be just as happy to rest a
while.
"Suit yourself," said Zef. "But I think this is thethe Fortress. You'll