[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
getting lost in time and space again.
Fargo s eyebrows shot upward, but he said nothing as he handled the controls. TheHopeful
lifted.
The computer outlet spoke. Security police in antigrav car outside, Captain. You are under
arrest and ordered to surrender your ship. If you try to leave, you will be brought back by force
grapple.
So they say, said Fargo, but they ll have to catch us first.
But they will, said Jeff.
No, they won t. I will lose them in the cloud layer, and while they re looking for us, we ll get
into hyperspace if Norby can manage it. We ll go in and never come out, so far as they are concerned.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Then they ll know we have hyperdrive.
No, they won t. They ll only know we ve disappeared, and presumably crashed. They ll
spend days looking for the smashed torso of our scoutship. Fargo turned to Norby. Can you turn this
ship s engine to hyperdrive as soon as we re into the cloud? he asked.
I can channel my hyperspace entry system into the ship s computer. She s a stupid computer
but maybe she ll be able to follow my instructions. If she were as intelligent as I am....
Justdo it, Norby, Fargo said.
Jeff, at the thought of facing another jaunt through hyperspace, buried his head in his hands.
6
OPENING THE HASSOCK
That was a piece of cake, Fargo said.
Thank you, Norby said, but you can say that because you re not the one who had to do
it. I had to work myself to death to get that stupid computer to do the right thing. Are you all right, Jeff?
Jeff peered out from his blanket. Well, Iam tired, he said, and hungry, too. Do you mind if
I m tired and hungry? Is there a law against that?
That s just like a boy, said Norby. Always tired and hungry, and always getting
short-tempered about it.
Fargo turned around in his captain s chair and fiddled with the computer. A meal will be
served shortly, Jeff, but it will be food and water in the brig if you don t tell me what s happened to you,
and what Norby s other secret is; although after you talked about being lost in space and time, I guess I
can guess the latter.
We don t have a brig, Jeff grumbled, andfirstI want to eat. He watched the glass door
where the food would make its appearance. He didn t care what kind of synthomeal theHopeful would
manage to provide, so long as she did it quickly.
With a slight sound like a burp, theHopeful served up synthoburger, synthofries, and real, if
reconstituted, applesauce.
Fargo s blue eyes were amused as Jeff dove into the food, I see I ll have to wait a long time
to hear the story.
Through a mouthful of fries, Jeff said thickly, Get it from Norby--not that you ll get an
unbiased story.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
He s communing with the ship s computer.
And I can t be interrupted right now, Norby said importantly. I m making some very
delicate adjustments on the computer so that maybe you ll be able to put the ship into hyperdrive even if
I m not with you. I ve altered the antigrav engine slightly to fit, because you can t get into hyperspace
unless your hyperdrive is based on antigrav.
How do you know?
It s just a feeling I have. This universe is all tied up with gravity, and I don t think you can get
out of normal space unless you get rid of gravity for a while. Or it could be vice-versa. Maybe antigrav
works by tying ordinary space to a little hyperspace.
Where are we now? Jeff asked some minutes later, his mouth still full of food.
I don t know, said Fargo.... Norby! Unplug yourself and tell us where you ve brought us.
That s a pretty planet out there, but it sure isn t Earth.
Jamya, mumbled Norby.
Oh, no! Not again! Jeff suspended his labors over the applesauce and said, Fargo, you d
better have the whole story.
Fargo listened quietly while Jeff recounted his and Norby s experiences on Jamya. In
summary, Fargo said, we are faced with friendly dragons and villainous robots.
Yes, said Jeff, and the only mode of escape is a small robot who not only can t handle
hyperspace with accuracy, but who also gets you to the right place at the wrong time and nearly freezes
you to death.
Well, I like that! said Norby, leaving the computer. And here I worked my circuits to the
bone for you!
It seems to me, said Fargo, that there s unfinished business on Jamya. I vote for landing.
So do I, said Norby. I keep yearning for that planet.
I m against it, said Jeff. Never trouble trouble till....
Two against one, Fargo and Norby said simultaneously.
The only trouble is, Fargo said, a couple of hours later, that the computer informs me
there s some sort of force barrier around the planet.
Right, said Jeff with sudden satisfaction. Zi told me the Jamyns weren t allowed to travel to
other planets, and I presume people from other planets aren t allowed to travel to Jamya. She said we
were the first visitors ever. So let s go somewhere else.
Norby said, We got to Jamya before because we used hyperdrive and went past the barrier
by going out of normal space. All we have to do is to use hyperdrive now.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Wait, Jeff said. He knew Fargo and he knew Norby, and there wasn t much use trying to
talk sense to either of them. The only thing to do was to place another problem before them and then,
maybe, he could get some sleep. With his eyelids drooping on their own, what he needed very badly was
a little unconsciousness. After that, he might be able to face Jamya. Don t you think you ought to find
out why the Mentors want that hassock? he asked.
Isn t the best way of finding that out simply to ask the Mentors? Fargo asked.
No, Jeff said earnestly. They never thought about the hassock till Norby mentioned it.
Maybe they don t know what s in it. And it s Norby who thinks he can open it if he can work out the
meaning of all that stuff around the sides.
You re right. Sensible boy! Norby, make a note--your young owner has the makings of a [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl akte20.pev.pl
getting lost in time and space again.
Fargo s eyebrows shot upward, but he said nothing as he handled the controls. TheHopeful
lifted.
The computer outlet spoke. Security police in antigrav car outside, Captain. You are under
arrest and ordered to surrender your ship. If you try to leave, you will be brought back by force
grapple.
So they say, said Fargo, but they ll have to catch us first.
But they will, said Jeff.
No, they won t. I will lose them in the cloud layer, and while they re looking for us, we ll get
into hyperspace if Norby can manage it. We ll go in and never come out, so far as they are concerned.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Then they ll know we have hyperdrive.
No, they won t. They ll only know we ve disappeared, and presumably crashed. They ll
spend days looking for the smashed torso of our scoutship. Fargo turned to Norby. Can you turn this
ship s engine to hyperdrive as soon as we re into the cloud? he asked.
I can channel my hyperspace entry system into the ship s computer. She s a stupid computer
but maybe she ll be able to follow my instructions. If she were as intelligent as I am....
Justdo it, Norby, Fargo said.
Jeff, at the thought of facing another jaunt through hyperspace, buried his head in his hands.
6
OPENING THE HASSOCK
That was a piece of cake, Fargo said.
Thank you, Norby said, but you can say that because you re not the one who had to do
it. I had to work myself to death to get that stupid computer to do the right thing. Are you all right, Jeff?
Jeff peered out from his blanket. Well, Iam tired, he said, and hungry, too. Do you mind if
I m tired and hungry? Is there a law against that?
That s just like a boy, said Norby. Always tired and hungry, and always getting
short-tempered about it.
Fargo turned around in his captain s chair and fiddled with the computer. A meal will be
served shortly, Jeff, but it will be food and water in the brig if you don t tell me what s happened to you,
and what Norby s other secret is; although after you talked about being lost in space and time, I guess I
can guess the latter.
We don t have a brig, Jeff grumbled, andfirstI want to eat. He watched the glass door
where the food would make its appearance. He didn t care what kind of synthomeal theHopeful would
manage to provide, so long as she did it quickly.
With a slight sound like a burp, theHopeful served up synthoburger, synthofries, and real, if
reconstituted, applesauce.
Fargo s blue eyes were amused as Jeff dove into the food, I see I ll have to wait a long time
to hear the story.
Through a mouthful of fries, Jeff said thickly, Get it from Norby--not that you ll get an
unbiased story.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
He s communing with the ship s computer.
And I can t be interrupted right now, Norby said importantly. I m making some very
delicate adjustments on the computer so that maybe you ll be able to put the ship into hyperdrive even if
I m not with you. I ve altered the antigrav engine slightly to fit, because you can t get into hyperspace
unless your hyperdrive is based on antigrav.
How do you know?
It s just a feeling I have. This universe is all tied up with gravity, and I don t think you can get
out of normal space unless you get rid of gravity for a while. Or it could be vice-versa. Maybe antigrav
works by tying ordinary space to a little hyperspace.
Where are we now? Jeff asked some minutes later, his mouth still full of food.
I don t know, said Fargo.... Norby! Unplug yourself and tell us where you ve brought us.
That s a pretty planet out there, but it sure isn t Earth.
Jamya, mumbled Norby.
Oh, no! Not again! Jeff suspended his labors over the applesauce and said, Fargo, you d
better have the whole story.
Fargo listened quietly while Jeff recounted his and Norby s experiences on Jamya. In
summary, Fargo said, we are faced with friendly dragons and villainous robots.
Yes, said Jeff, and the only mode of escape is a small robot who not only can t handle
hyperspace with accuracy, but who also gets you to the right place at the wrong time and nearly freezes
you to death.
Well, I like that! said Norby, leaving the computer. And here I worked my circuits to the
bone for you!
It seems to me, said Fargo, that there s unfinished business on Jamya. I vote for landing.
So do I, said Norby. I keep yearning for that planet.
I m against it, said Jeff. Never trouble trouble till....
Two against one, Fargo and Norby said simultaneously.
The only trouble is, Fargo said, a couple of hours later, that the computer informs me
there s some sort of force barrier around the planet.
Right, said Jeff with sudden satisfaction. Zi told me the Jamyns weren t allowed to travel to
other planets, and I presume people from other planets aren t allowed to travel to Jamya. She said we
were the first visitors ever. So let s go somewhere else.
Norby said, We got to Jamya before because we used hyperdrive and went past the barrier
by going out of normal space. All we have to do is to use hyperdrive now.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Wait, Jeff said. He knew Fargo and he knew Norby, and there wasn t much use trying to
talk sense to either of them. The only thing to do was to place another problem before them and then,
maybe, he could get some sleep. With his eyelids drooping on their own, what he needed very badly was
a little unconsciousness. After that, he might be able to face Jamya. Don t you think you ought to find
out why the Mentors want that hassock? he asked.
Isn t the best way of finding that out simply to ask the Mentors? Fargo asked.
No, Jeff said earnestly. They never thought about the hassock till Norby mentioned it.
Maybe they don t know what s in it. And it s Norby who thinks he can open it if he can work out the
meaning of all that stuff around the sides.
You re right. Sensible boy! Norby, make a note--your young owner has the makings of a [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]