JК
World Of Ptavvs :: Нивен Ларри
Страница: 54 из 127Just as the laughter threatened to become sobs, she clenched her teeth hard, held the pose for a moment, then sagged back inher chair.
"I'm all right now," she said. Her face held no laughter, only exhaustion.
"What was that all about?"
"It doesn't matter. Why would they be going to Neptune?"
"I don't know. We're not even sure that's where they're going. Don't you have some sort of telepathic link with your husband?"
"Not any more. Since he went into Dr. Jansky's time field I can't feel anything any more."
"Well, it wouldn't feel like him anyway. Do you remember how you felt at twenty hours night before last?"
"At twenty? Let me see." She closed her eyes. "Wasn't I asleep…? Oh. Something woke me up and I couldn't go back to sleep. I had the feeling that something was terribly wrong. Monsters in the shadows. I was right, wasn't I?"
"Yes. Especially if it was Larry's mind you felt." He gave that a moment to sink in. "And since then?"
"Nothing." Her small hand tapped rhythmically on the chair arm. "Nothing! Except that I want to find him. Find him! That's all I've wanted since he took the ship! Find him before he…"
Find it! But there was no question of finding it, he told himself for the hundredth time. He had to find it first! He had to find it before Kzanol, the real Kzanol, did. And for the hundredth time he wondered if he could.
The Earth had been invisible for hours. Kzanol/Greenberg and Masney sat speechless in the control bubble, speechless and motionless. The control bubble was three quarters of the ship's living space. One could stand upright only in the airlock.
There weren't many distractions for Kzanol/Greenberg. True, he had to keep an eye on Masney. He had to do more than that. He had to know when Masney was uncomfortable, and he had to know it before Masney knew it. If Masney ever came out of hypnosis it might be difficult to get him back. So Kzanol/Greenberg had to send Masney to the lavatory; had to give him water before he was thirsty; had to exercise him before his muscles could cramp from sitting. Masney was not like the usual slave, who could take care of himself when not needed.
Other than that, the self-styled ptavv was dead weight. He spent hours at a time just sitting and thinking. Not planning, for there was nothing to plan. He either reached the eighth planet first, or he didn't. Either he put on the amplifier helmet, or the real Kzanol did, and then there would be no more planning, ever. No mind shield could face an amplifier helmet. On the other hand, the helmet would make him Kzanol's master. Using an amplifier on a thrint was illegal, but he was hardly in danger of Thrintun law.
"I'm all right now," she said. Her face held no laughter, only exhaustion.
"What was that all about?"
"It doesn't matter. Why would they be going to Neptune?"
"I don't know. We're not even sure that's where they're going. Don't you have some sort of telepathic link with your husband?"
"Not any more. Since he went into Dr. Jansky's time field I can't feel anything any more."
"Well, it wouldn't feel like him anyway. Do you remember how you felt at twenty hours night before last?"
"At twenty? Let me see." She closed her eyes. "Wasn't I asleep…? Oh. Something woke me up and I couldn't go back to sleep. I had the feeling that something was terribly wrong. Monsters in the shadows. I was right, wasn't I?"
"Yes. Especially if it was Larry's mind you felt." He gave that a moment to sink in. "And since then?"
"Nothing." Her small hand tapped rhythmically on the chair arm. "Nothing! Except that I want to find him. Find him! That's all I've wanted since he took the ship! Find him before he…"
Find it! But there was no question of finding it, he told himself for the hundredth time. He had to find it first! He had to find it before Kzanol, the real Kzanol, did. And for the hundredth time he wondered if he could.
The Earth had been invisible for hours. Kzanol/Greenberg and Masney sat speechless in the control bubble, speechless and motionless. The control bubble was three quarters of the ship's living space. One could stand upright only in the airlock.
There weren't many distractions for Kzanol/Greenberg. True, he had to keep an eye on Masney. He had to do more than that. He had to know when Masney was uncomfortable, and he had to know it before Masney knew it. If Masney ever came out of hypnosis it might be difficult to get him back. So Kzanol/Greenberg had to send Masney to the lavatory; had to give him water before he was thirsty; had to exercise him before his muscles could cramp from sitting. Masney was not like the usual slave, who could take care of himself when not needed.
Other than that, the self-styled ptavv was dead weight. He spent hours at a time just sitting and thinking. Not planning, for there was nothing to plan. He either reached the eighth planet first, or he didn't. Either he put on the amplifier helmet, or the real Kzanol did, and then there would be no more planning, ever. No mind shield could face an amplifier helmet. On the other hand, the helmet would make him Kzanol's master. Using an amplifier on a thrint was illegal, but he was hardly in danger of Thrintun law.