JК
The Lovers :: Фармер Филип Хосе
Страница: 125 из 127As he did so, Hal brought his knee up against the unguarded chin. There was a crack of bone breaking, and the agent fell to the floor.
'Watch him!' Macneff yelled. 'He's got a gun!'
The Uzzite by the wall shoved his hand under his jacket, feeling for the weapon in his armpit holster. Simultaneously, a heavy bronze bookend, thrown by Fobo, struck his temple. He crumpled.
Macneff screamed, 'You are resisting, Yarrow! You are resisting!'
Hal bellowed, 'You're damn shib I am!'
Head down, he plunged at the Sandalphon.
Macneff slashed with his whip at his attacker. The seven lashes wrapped themselves around Hal's face, but he rammed into the purple-clad form and knocked it down on the floor.
Macneff got to his knees; Hal, also on his knees, seized Macneff by the throat and squeezed.
Macneffs face turned blue, and he grabbed Hal's wrists and tried to tear them away. But Hal squeezed harder.
'You... can't do... this!' said Macneff, wheezing. 'Can't... impossi–'
T can! I can!' screamed Hal. 'I've always wanted to do this, Pornsen! I mean... Macneff!'
At that moment, the floors shook, the windows rattled. Almost immediately, a tremendous boom! blew in the windows. Glass flew; Hal was hurled to the floor.
Outside, the night became day. Then, night again.
Hal rose to his feet. Macneff lay on the floor, his hands feeling his neck.
'What was that?' Hal said to Fobo.
Fobo went to the broken window and looked out. He was bleeding from a cut on his neck, but he did not seem to notice it.
'It's what I've been waiting for,' Fobo said.
He turned to face Hal.
'From the moment the Gabriel landed, we've been digging under it, and–'
'Our sound-detection equipment–'
'–caught the noise of the underground trains directly below the ship. But we dug only when the trains were moving through so the digging would be covered up. Normally, a train would go through the tunnels every ten minutes. But we routed them through every two minutes or so and made sure that they were long freight trains.
'Only a few days ago we completed filling the hole under the Gabriel with gunpowder. Believe me, we all breathed easier after it was done, for we'd feared we might be heard despite our precautions or that our shorings might break under the great weight of the ship. Or that, for some reason, the captain might decide to move the ship.'
'Then you blew it up?' Hal said dazedly.
Things were going too fast for him.
'I doubt that.
'Watch him!' Macneff yelled. 'He's got a gun!'
The Uzzite by the wall shoved his hand under his jacket, feeling for the weapon in his armpit holster. Simultaneously, a heavy bronze bookend, thrown by Fobo, struck his temple. He crumpled.
Macneff screamed, 'You are resisting, Yarrow! You are resisting!'
Hal bellowed, 'You're damn shib I am!'
Head down, he plunged at the Sandalphon.
Macneff slashed with his whip at his attacker. The seven lashes wrapped themselves around Hal's face, but he rammed into the purple-clad form and knocked it down on the floor.
Macneff got to his knees; Hal, also on his knees, seized Macneff by the throat and squeezed.
Macneffs face turned blue, and he grabbed Hal's wrists and tried to tear them away. But Hal squeezed harder.
'You... can't do... this!' said Macneff, wheezing. 'Can't... impossi–'
T can! I can!' screamed Hal. 'I've always wanted to do this, Pornsen! I mean... Macneff!'
At that moment, the floors shook, the windows rattled. Almost immediately, a tremendous boom! blew in the windows. Glass flew; Hal was hurled to the floor.
Outside, the night became day. Then, night again.
Hal rose to his feet. Macneff lay on the floor, his hands feeling his neck.
'What was that?' Hal said to Fobo.
Fobo went to the broken window and looked out. He was bleeding from a cut on his neck, but he did not seem to notice it.
'It's what I've been waiting for,' Fobo said.
He turned to face Hal.
'From the moment the Gabriel landed, we've been digging under it, and–'
'Our sound-detection equipment–'
'–caught the noise of the underground trains directly below the ship. But we dug only when the trains were moving through so the digging would be covered up. Normally, a train would go through the tunnels every ten minutes. But we routed them through every two minutes or so and made sure that they were long freight trains.
'Only a few days ago we completed filling the hole under the Gabriel with gunpowder. Believe me, we all breathed easier after it was done, for we'd feared we might be heard despite our precautions or that our shorings might break under the great weight of the ship. Or that, for some reason, the captain might decide to move the ship.'
'Then you blew it up?' Hal said dazedly.
Things were going too fast for him.
'I doubt that.