"Arcady And Boris Strugatsky. Prisoners of Power" - читать интересную книгу автораcountry!"
"Escape?" "Yes!" "You're crazy. They spared your life." "Who spared my life? It's my life! It belongs to me!" It was difficult to talk; they had to shout over the engine. Somehow the conversation deteriorated into a heated exchange. Maxim leaped through the hatch and slowed down the engine. The tank moved more slowly, but the roaring and clanging lessened. When Maxim climbed back, Guy was frowning, and his face was set in a determined expression. "It's my duty to take you back," he announced. "And it's my duty to drag you away from here," replied Maxim. "I don't understand. You're completely out of your mind. It's impossible to escape. You must return. Massaraksh, I can't take you back. You'll be shot. And in the South, you'll be eaten by those cannibals. Damn you and your crazy ideas!" "Hold on, Guy, don't shout. Give me a chance to explain." "I don't want to hear anything. Stop the tank!" "Now, wait a minute," persisted Maxim. "Let me talk!" Guy was unrelenting. He demanded that the illegally seized tank be stopped immediately and returned. The engine's roar drowned out a string of curses. The situation, massaraksh, was horrendous. It was hopeless, massaraksh! Ahead, massaraksh, waited certain death. To go back, massaraksh, would lead to the same. Maxim was a blockhead and a lunatic, but this escapade would be his last. realized that the range of the last tower's radiation field ended somewhere in this area, had perhaps ended: the last outpost was supposedly located at the outer limit of the most distant radiation field. Let the poor devil get it off his chest; talk was cheap on the inhabited island. "Curse all you want to," he thought to himself, "but I'll drag you out of here anyway. This country is no place for you. We must begin with someone, and you're the first. I don't want you to be a puppet, even if you enjoy it." When Guy had finished cursing out Maxim, he jumped through the hatch and tinkered with the controls, trying to stop the tank. Unsuccessful, he climbed out again, wearing his helmet. He was silent and determined. Obviously he intended to jump off and return to his post. He was furious. Maxim caught him by his pants, pulled him back, and began to explain the situation. He spoke for over an hour, pausing occasionally to turn the tank. At first Guy tried to interrupt, plugged his ears, and attempted to jump off the moving vehicle. But Maxim persisted, talking on and on, repeating the same thing over and over again, explaining, persuading, dissuading. Finally, Guy began to pay attention. He grew pensive, upset, ran both hands under his helmet and scratched his head; then he took the offensive and began to quiz Maxim. Where, he wanted to know, did he get all his facts, and who could prove that they weren't a pack of lies? Maxim kept hammering away with facts, and when he had exhausted his supply, he swore that he had been telling the truth. When Guy still failed to respond, he called him a blockhead, puppet, and robot. Meanwhile the tank continued to roll |
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