"Arcady And Boris Strugatsky. Prisoners of Power" - читать интересную книгу автора Reminded about radioactivity, Guy dug into his bag for the container of
yellow tablets. He swallowed two of them and writhed from the penetrating burning sensation. The miserable stuff had to be taken; this place was contaminated too. In the desert, he'd probably have to consume them by the handful. Without these pills he'd be done for. He was grateful to the duke for them. The duke was an unusual man. Nothing bothered him, nothing discouraged him, even in this hell. He helped people, treated them, made rounds, and even set up a plant to produce drugs and medicines. The door burst open. Wearing only a pair of shorts, Maxim strode into the room angrily. "No excuses. Let's go!" "I don't want to," replied Guy. "The hell with all of them! It makes me sick to look at them. I can't." "Nonsense. They're fine people and have a great deal of respect for you. Stop acting like a child." "Oh, sure, they respect me." "They certainly do! Recently the duke asked that you remain here. He said he would die soon and needed a real man to replace him." "Oh, sure, replace him," muttered Guy, succumbing to Mac's pleading. "Boshku is nagging me, too. He's too shy to speak to you directly. 'Let Guy stay,' he says. 'He'll teach us, protect us, train some fine fighters.' Do you know how Boshku talks about you?" Guy gave in. "Well, all right. Should I take my gun?" "Take it. You never can tell." Guy put the gun under his arm and they left the room. They descended the door, and walked down the street toward the square. "How many people perished here when that bomb was dropped! They say this once was a beautiful city. Those bastards ruined the country. They not only killed and crippled people, but bred evil, the like of which has never been seen. And not only here." The duke had told them that animals resembling dogs had lived in the forest before the war. He forgot what they were called. They were intelligent and well-behaved, and it was a pleasure to train them. Naturally, they were trained for military purposes. Then a linguist turned up who had deciphered their language. They actually had one, and a rather complex one at that. They loved to imitate, and the physiology of their throats made it possible to teach some of them some fifty to seventy words. On the whole they were amazing animals. We should have befriended them, said the duke, taught each other, and helped each other. "You'll hear they died out, but that isn't true. They were trained to fight, to penetrate enemy territory for military intelligence. Then war broke out and there was no time for them, or for anything else. And they, too, mutated - so now we are faced with the vampires. Very dangerous creatures." An order to fight them was even issued in the Special Southern Zone, and the duke admitted quite frankly: "This is the end for us. Vampires will eventually take over the entire region." Guy recalled how Boshku and his hunters had once shot a deer in the forest. "It was being pursued by vampires, who decided to fight for it. And what kind of fighters were Mac's friends? They fired a single shot from |
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