[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
other information came through the white blankness. He continued to grope his
way downward, finally reaching the bottom of the hull curve. Below him,
separated from his level by the thickness of the mattress and two thirds the
height of the trucks, was the gently steaming surface of the water. It was
not, of course, actively boiling at this pressure; but it was hot even by
human standards, and the captain had no illusions about the ability of an
airsuit to protect him from it. It occurred to him, rather later, that there
was an excellent chance that he
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Star%20Light%20(Part%203%20of%204).h
tm (32 of 48) [10/15/2004 12:07:17 AM]
Star Light had just cooked his two missing helmsmen to death, but this was a
passing thought; there was work to be done.
The power box lay well aft of his present position, but the nearest surface on
which he could walk had to be forward. Either way there was going to be
trouble reaching the unit, now presumably well surrounded by hot water; but if
jumping were going to be necessary, the hull holdfasts were about the poorest
possible takeoff point. Dondragmer went forward.
This brought him into clear air almost at once, and he saw that his two men
were gone. Presumably they had started around the far side of the pool in the
hope of carrying out his order. The captain continued forward, and in another
yard or two found it possible top descend to solid ice. He did so, and
Page 28
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
hastened on what he hoped was the trail of his men.
He had to slow down almost at once, however, as his course brought him back
into the ice fog. He was too close to the edge of the pool to take chances. As
he went he called repeatedly, and was reassured to hear each hoot answered by
another. At least, his men had not yet fallen in.
He caught up with them almost under the cruise's stern, having walked entirely
around the part of the pool not bounded by the hull. None of them had
accomplished anything; the power unit was not only out of reach but out of
sigh. Jumping would have been utter lunacy, even if Mesklinites normally
tended to think such a thing. Borndender and his assistant had not, and the
idea had only occurred to Dondragmer because of his unusual experience in
Mesklin's low-gravity equatorial zone long before.
But there could not be much more time. Looking over the edge of the ice, the
three could catch glimpses of the rounded tops of the rocks, separated by
water surfaces which narrowed as they watched. The wire must be practically
out of water by now; chance alone would not have it settle between the stones
to a point much lower than their average height, and the protecting water was
already there. The captain had been weighing the various risks for minutes;
without further hesitation, and without issuing any orders, he slipped over
the edge and dropped two feet to the top of one of the boulders.
It was the energy equivalent of an eight-story fall on Earth, and even the
Mesklinite was jolted. However, he retained he self-command. A single hoot
told those above he had survived without serious injury, and warned them
against following in case pride might have furnished an impulse which
intelligence certainly would not. The captain, with that order issued,
relegated the scientist to the back of his mind and concentrated on the next
step.
The nearest rock with enough exposed area to accommodate him was two feet-well
over a body length-
away, but was at least visible. Better still, another one only slightly off
the line to it expose a square inch or so of its surface; and two seconds
after analyzing this situation, Dondragmer was two feet closer to the power
box and looking for another stopping point. The lone square inch of the
stepping stone had been
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Star%20Light%20(Part%203%20of%204).h
tm (33 of 48) [10/15/2004 12:07:17 AM]
Star Light touched by perhaps a dozen feet as the red-and-black length of his
body had ricocheted from it to the second rock.
The next stage was more difficult. It was harder to be sure which way to go,
since the hull which had been furnished orientation was now barely visible
also, there were no more large surfaces as close as the one from which he had
come. He hesitated, looking and planning; but before he reached a decision the
question was resolved for him. The grumbling sound which had gone on for so
many minutes as water exploded into steam against the hot wire and almost [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl akte20.pev.pl
other information came through the white blankness. He continued to grope his
way downward, finally reaching the bottom of the hull curve. Below him,
separated from his level by the thickness of the mattress and two thirds the
height of the trucks, was the gently steaming surface of the water. It was
not, of course, actively boiling at this pressure; but it was hot even by
human standards, and the captain had no illusions about the ability of an
airsuit to protect him from it. It occurred to him, rather later, that there
was an excellent chance that he
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Star%20Light%20(Part%203%20of%204).h
tm (32 of 48) [10/15/2004 12:07:17 AM]
Star Light had just cooked his two missing helmsmen to death, but this was a
passing thought; there was work to be done.
The power box lay well aft of his present position, but the nearest surface on
which he could walk had to be forward. Either way there was going to be
trouble reaching the unit, now presumably well surrounded by hot water; but if
jumping were going to be necessary, the hull holdfasts were about the poorest
possible takeoff point. Dondragmer went forward.
This brought him into clear air almost at once, and he saw that his two men
were gone. Presumably they had started around the far side of the pool in the
hope of carrying out his order. The captain continued forward, and in another
yard or two found it possible top descend to solid ice. He did so, and
Page 28
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
hastened on what he hoped was the trail of his men.
He had to slow down almost at once, however, as his course brought him back
into the ice fog. He was too close to the edge of the pool to take chances. As
he went he called repeatedly, and was reassured to hear each hoot answered by
another. At least, his men had not yet fallen in.
He caught up with them almost under the cruise's stern, having walked entirely
around the part of the pool not bounded by the hull. None of them had
accomplished anything; the power unit was not only out of reach but out of
sigh. Jumping would have been utter lunacy, even if Mesklinites normally
tended to think such a thing. Borndender and his assistant had not, and the
idea had only occurred to Dondragmer because of his unusual experience in
Mesklin's low-gravity equatorial zone long before.
But there could not be much more time. Looking over the edge of the ice, the
three could catch glimpses of the rounded tops of the rocks, separated by
water surfaces which narrowed as they watched. The wire must be practically
out of water by now; chance alone would not have it settle between the stones
to a point much lower than their average height, and the protecting water was
already there. The captain had been weighing the various risks for minutes;
without further hesitation, and without issuing any orders, he slipped over
the edge and dropped two feet to the top of one of the boulders.
It was the energy equivalent of an eight-story fall on Earth, and even the
Mesklinite was jolted. However, he retained he self-command. A single hoot
told those above he had survived without serious injury, and warned them
against following in case pride might have furnished an impulse which
intelligence certainly would not. The captain, with that order issued,
relegated the scientist to the back of his mind and concentrated on the next
step.
The nearest rock with enough exposed area to accommodate him was two feet-well
over a body length-
away, but was at least visible. Better still, another one only slightly off
the line to it expose a square inch or so of its surface; and two seconds
after analyzing this situation, Dondragmer was two feet closer to the power
box and looking for another stopping point. The lone square inch of the
stepping stone had been
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Star%20Light%20(Part%203%20of%204).h
tm (33 of 48) [10/15/2004 12:07:17 AM]
Star Light touched by perhaps a dozen feet as the red-and-black length of his
body had ricocheted from it to the second rock.
The next stage was more difficult. It was harder to be sure which way to go,
since the hull which had been furnished orientation was now barely visible
also, there were no more large surfaces as close as the one from which he had
come. He hesitated, looking and planning; but before he reached a decision the
question was resolved for him. The grumbling sound which had gone on for so
many minutes as water exploded into steam against the hot wire and almost [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]