JК
World Of Ptavvs :: Нивен Ларри
Страница: 110 из 127volatilized uranium into fusion tubes and followed it with hydrogen. A growing storm of neutrons produced fission which produced heat which produced fusion. Four blue-white stars formed, very long and very thin. The bright ends swung toward Pluto. They began to move.
"That's that," Masney said wearily. "And a good thing, too. Do you suppose there ever was a telepathy amplifier?"
"I'm sure there is. And it's not over yet." Luke was flexing his fingers and looking worried. Pluto showed on the screen before him, with the edge of the fire a straight line creeping west to east. "Lloyd, why do you think didn't want the Belt to beat us to Pluto? Why did we come after them, anyway? That amplifier is a new weapon! If the Belt takes it apart and makes one that humans can use, we could see the worst and most permanent dictatorship in history. It might never end at all."
Masney looked at the future Luke had painted and, judging by his expression, found it evil. Then he grinned.
"They can't land. It's all right, Luke. They can't get down to the helmet with that fire going."
"That fire isn't burning any more where the honeymooner came down."
Masney looked. "Right. Is Pluto still explosive?"
"I don't know. There might still be pockets of unburned material. But they can go down if they want, regardless. All they have to do is land on the day side, where there's no hydrogen, and land so fast they don't burn through the nitrogen layer. They'd sink into it, of course, from heat leakage through the hulls, so they'd eventually have to dig their way out. But that's nothing. What counts is the hydrogen. Miss that and you probably won't start a fire.
"Now, they'll almost certainly go down for the amplifier as soon as the fire stops. We've got to destroy it before they get it. Or after."
"Take a look," said Lloyd.
Four bright points formed in a cluster on the screen. In seconds they had grown into lines a mile long, all pointing in the same direction.
"We've got some time," said Masney. "They're millions of miles from Pluto."
"Not far enough." Luke reached to close the intership circuit. "Calling Heinlein . Anderson, the Belt fleet just took off for Pluto from four million miles away. How long?"
"They started from rest?"
"Close enough."-
"Lessee…five hours ten minutes, approx. No less, maybe more, depending on whether they're scared of the fire."
"How long for us?"
"Fifty-nine hours now."
"Thanks, Anderson." Luke turned off the radio. Strange, how Smoky had sat there without saying a word.
"That's that," Masney said wearily. "And a good thing, too. Do you suppose there ever was a telepathy amplifier?"
"I'm sure there is. And it's not over yet." Luke was flexing his fingers and looking worried. Pluto showed on the screen before him, with the edge of the fire a straight line creeping west to east. "Lloyd, why do you think didn't want the Belt to beat us to Pluto? Why did we come after them, anyway? That amplifier is a new weapon! If the Belt takes it apart and makes one that humans can use, we could see the worst and most permanent dictatorship in history. It might never end at all."
Masney looked at the future Luke had painted and, judging by his expression, found it evil. Then he grinned.
"They can't land. It's all right, Luke. They can't get down to the helmet with that fire going."
"That fire isn't burning any more where the honeymooner came down."
Masney looked. "Right. Is Pluto still explosive?"
"I don't know. There might still be pockets of unburned material. But they can go down if they want, regardless. All they have to do is land on the day side, where there's no hydrogen, and land so fast they don't burn through the nitrogen layer. They'd sink into it, of course, from heat leakage through the hulls, so they'd eventually have to dig their way out. But that's nothing. What counts is the hydrogen. Miss that and you probably won't start a fire.
"Now, they'll almost certainly go down for the amplifier as soon as the fire stops. We've got to destroy it before they get it. Or after."
"Take a look," said Lloyd.
Four bright points formed in a cluster on the screen. In seconds they had grown into lines a mile long, all pointing in the same direction.
"We've got some time," said Masney. "They're millions of miles from Pluto."
"Not far enough." Luke reached to close the intership circuit. "Calling Heinlein . Anderson, the Belt fleet just took off for Pluto from four million miles away. How long?"
"They started from rest?"
"Close enough."-
"Lessee…five hours ten minutes, approx. No less, maybe more, depending on whether they're scared of the fire."
"How long for us?"
"Fifty-nine hours now."
"Thanks, Anderson." Luke turned off the radio. Strange, how Smoky had sat there without saying a word.