Fletcher Pratt The Onslaught from Rigel

Archiwum

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

sailors. We just borrowed this ship and if you want to see us you'll have to
pick us up. We'll keep along the coast toward Cape May. Can you meet us?"
A chuckle was audible from the radiophone. "I think we can manage it. Are
there any of the big birds about in your part of the world? They have been
bothering us all summer."
"Yes," replied Ben, "that's what we're running away from now. They've got some
bombs that are pure poison and they've been making regular war on us probably
you knew about it?"
"We haven't seen anything like that yet," declared the voice from the
loudspeaker, "but we've had plenty of trouble with them. Hold on a moment. Our
lookout reports sighting smoke from your funnels.
Hold your course and speed. We'll pick you up."
The voice ceased with a snap and the four in the control room of the destroyer
looked at each other.
"I'm glad he came around," remarked Ben. "This destroyer is getting shopworn.
Besides, with a good warship on hand we'll be able to give those birds what
they're looking for. I hope he's got planes."
"And somebody to fly them," continued Murray. "What'll we do if he has go back
and give them hell?"
"If we can. Apparently he doesn't like the birds any too well himself. It was
the first thing he mentioned."
They ceased speaking as the thin pennon of smoke, followed by two tall masts,
became visible over the horizon. In a few minutes more the
Brisbane swept up, swung a circle and came to rest near them, while from her
side dropped a barge that began to cut water toward them.
A moment later she was alongside. Ben stepped out on the deck, and as he did
so, there was a mutual exclamation of horrified amazement for Captain
Entwhistle of the Royal Australian Navy was as much flesh and blood as any man
they had seen in the old days but a pale blue in color. All his sailors were
of the same extraordinary hue.
Page 27
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
CHAPTER VII
AN EXPLORATION
THERE was a moment's silence as the Australian captain steadied himself
against the roll of the vessel, staring incredulously at the group that
gathered round him.
"Are you human?" he finally managed to gasp.
"If we aren't somebody's been kidding us," said Gloria irreverently. "But are
you? You're all blue!"
"Of course," said the captain. "It was the comet. We knew it struck in America
somewhere but didn't know where or what it did. What's the matter with your
ship?" He indicated the wrecked and leaking bow. "She seems to be down by the
head."
"Oh, that was a valentine from the birds," said Ben. "Can you give us quarters
on your vessel? There aren't many of us."
Captain Entwhistle seemed to come out of a dream. "Of course, of course. Come
on. We can discuss things better in my cabin."
As they mounted to the deck of the
Brisbane even the trained sailors, the light blue of their faces oddly at
variance with the dark blue of their uniforms, could not refrain from staring
at the colonists. They
crowded into the captain's cabin past rows of eager blue faces.
"I suggest," said Captain Entwhistle, "that we begin by telling each other how
this happened. I can scarcely credit the fact that you are human and can walk
and talk. Would any of you care for a whisky and soda?"
"No, thanks," said Murray, "but I'll have a drink of lubricating oil if you
can find any."
The naval officer looked at him and remarked, a trifle stiffly, "Certainly, if
you wish. Williams "
"Oh, don't mind him," Ben Ruby cut in. "Pardon me, Captain, he can drink
lubricating oil perfectly well but he's joking with you. You were saying about
the comet "
"Why, you knew that the big comet struck the earth as predicted, didn't you?
It was on the morning of February sixteenth, last year evening of February
fifteenth by American time. Even in our country, which is on the other side of
the earth, it caused a good deal of damage. The gases it set free put every
body to sleep and caused a lot of wreckage.
"Our scientists say the gases of the comet in some unexplained way altered the
iron in the haemoglobin of our blood to cobalt. It seems to work just as well
but that's why we're all blue. I don't quite understand it myself but you know
how these medical Johnnies are. Now what happened to you people?"
"May I ask something first?" said Beeville. "What day is this?"
"August eighteenth, nineteen fifty-six," said the captain, slightly baffled by
the question.
"Good Lord!" said the scientist. "Then we were there for over a year!"
"Yes," said Ben. "All of us you see here and several others returned to
consciousness about the same time two months ago. We know nothing of what the
comet did to us or how this change occurred except that when we woke up we
were just what you see.
"Dr. Beeville has been experimenting with a view to finding out what happened
but he hasn't made much progress so far. All we know is that we're composed of
metal that doesn't rust easily, make our
meals off electricity and find the taste of any kind of oil agreeable. And the
birds " he broke off with a gesture.
"Oh yes, the birds," said the captain. "Have they been annoying you too?
That's one of the reasons, aside from exploration, why we're here. I assume
you mean the big four-winged birds we call dodos
Page 28
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
down under.
"We haven't seen much of them but occasionally they come and fly away with a
sheep or even a man.
One of our aviators chased one several hundred miles out to sea recently and
we had assumed they came from one of the islands. Our scientists don't know
what to make of them."
"Neither do ours except that they're an unadulterated brand of hell," put in
Murray. "We were all living in New York, snug as bugs in a rug, when they
began dropping incendiary bombs on us and carrying off anyone they could get
hold of."
"Including this insignificant person," said Yoshio, proudly.
"Incendiary bombs! Do you mean to tell me they have intelligence enough for
that?"
"I'll tell the cockeyed world they have! Did you see the prow of our ship?
That's where one of their little presents got home. If anyone had been there
he wouldn't be anything but scrap iron now. If you really want to find out
what it's all about come on up to New York but get ready for the fight of your
life."
The captain leaned back, sipping his drink meditatively. "Do you know," he
said, "that's just what I
was thinking of doing? Frankly your story is all but incredible but here you
are as proof of it and you don't seem to be robots except in appearance."
"Oh, boy!" whispered Murray to Gloria. "Wait till these babies get after the
birds with their eight-inch guns. They'll wish they'd never heard of us. I'm
glad I'm going to be on hand to see the fun."
"Yes, but maybe the birds will have something up their feathers, too," she [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

zanotowane.pl

doc.pisz.pl

pdf.pisz.pl

himalia.xlx.pl