"Arcady And Boris Strugatsky. Prisoners of Power" - читать интересную книгу автораbrigade commander; Private Pandi will be in charge. In short, watch Pandi
and do exactly what he does. "If it were up to me, I wouldn't have assigned you to this post, It's never given to candidates, but the captain ordered it. Keep a sharp lockout, Mac. I can't figure out the captain. Either he's trying to push you up quickly - he talked a lot about you at yesterday's operation review with platoon leaders and cited you in an order - or he's checking you out. Why, I don't know. Maybe it's my fault - the report I submitted. Or maybe it's your fault - for blabbing so much." He inspected Maxim anxiously. "Clean your boots, tighten your belt, and put on dress gloves. Oh, you don't have any - candidates don't get them. OK, run over to the supply room. Make it snappy. We leave in thirty minutes." At the supply room Maxim met Pandi, who was changing a cracked beret insignia. "Take a look at this guy, corporal!" said Pandi to the quartermaster, clapping Maxim on the shoulder. "Ever seen the likes of him? Nine days in the Legion and a citation already. They put him on duty with me in the interrogation room. Probably ran down here for white gloves. Corporal, give him a real good pair. He's earned it. This guy is a hero!" The corporal grunted, dug through the shelves piled with supplies, tossed several pairs of white cotton gloves on the counter in front of Maxim, and said contemptuously: "Here! You call yourselves heroes, with those lunatics you catch? Sure, when their guts are splitting with pain, all you have to do is pick 'em up and shove 'em in a sack. Even my grandfather could be a hero there. With his hands tied behind his back." someone jumped him with two pistols," said Pandi. "I almost thought the captain was done for." "Done for!" grumbled the quartermaster. "After six months on the southern border, you'll really be done for. You'll have had it, boy. Then we'll see who hotfoots it out like crazy." When they were outside, Maxim asked in a most respectful tone: "Private Pandi, sir, why do the degens have such pains? And they all seem to get them at the same time. How come?" "It's fear that does it. They're degens. Understand? Mac, you've got to read more. There's a pamphlet - The Degens: Their Habits and OriginsThe Degens: Their Habits and Origins. Be sure and read it or you'll never get anywhere. Courage alone won't get you very far." He paused. "Look, we normal people get excited, angry, or scared, and nothing happens. Maybe we sweat or tremble. But their bodies are abnormal. Degenerate. If they get angry at someone or get the jitters or anything like that, they suddenly get terrific headaches and pains all over. Maddening pains. Get it? That's how we can identify them. And, of course, we arrest them. Say, those gloves are OK. Just my size, too. What do you think?" "Too tight for me, sir," complained Maxim. "Let's trade." The exchange pleased both of them. Suddenly Maxim remembered how Fank had writhed in pain in the car. And patrolling legionnaires had arrested him. "What could have frightened him? Or angered him? He didn't seem agitated, drove the car calmly, even whistled. But he turned around and saw a patrol car. Or was that afterward? True, he was in a terrific hurry and a |
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