JК
World Of Ptavvs :: Нивен Ларри
Страница: 96 из 127But it doesn't make sense. If that mass dived into the system from outside, why didn't it go back out again to complete the hyperbola? What could have stopped it? Well, I'm taking a gamble.
"There's only one thing that bothers me. Pluto isn't very big. Do you suppose the suit may have been blown back into space by the explosion when it hit?"
"If it was, I'll kill you," said Kzanol.
"Don't tell me, let me guess," begged Garner. "Aha! I've got it. Smoky Petropoulos. How are you?"
"Not as good as your memory. It's been a good twenty-two years." Smoky stood behind the two seats, in the airlock space, and grinned at the windshield reflection of the two men. There wasn't room to do much else. "How the hell are you, Garner? Why don't you turn around and shake hands with an old buddy?"
"I can't, Smoky. We've been ordered not to move by a BEM that doesn't take no for an answer. Maybe a good hypnotherapist could get us out of this fix, but we'll have to wait 'til then. By the way, meet Leroy Anderson."
"Hi."
"Now give us a couple of cigarettes, Smoky, and put them in the corners of our mouths so we can talk. Are your boys chasing Greenberg and the BEM?"
"Yeah." Smoky fumbled with cigarettes and a lighter. "Just what is this game of musical chairs?"
"What do you mean?"
Old Smoky put their cigarettes where they belonged. He said, "That honeymoon special took off for Pluto. Why?"
"Pluto!"
"Surprised?"
"It wasn't here," said Anderson.
"Right," said Garner. "We know what they're after, and we know now they didn't find it here. But I can't imagine why they think it's on Pluto. Oops! Hold it" Garner puffed furiously at his cigarette: good honest tobacco with the tars and nicotine still in it. He didn't seem to have any trouble moving his face. "Pluto may have been a moon of Neptune once. Maybe that has something to do with it. How about Greenberg's ship? Is it going in the same direction?"
"Uh uh. Wherever it is, its drive is off. We lost sight of it four hours ago."
Anderson spoke up. "If your friend is still aboard he could be in trouble."
"Right," said Garner. "Smoky, that ship could be falling into Neptune with Lloyd Masney aboard. You remember him? A big, stocky guy with a mustache."
"I think so. Is he paralyzed too?"
"He's hypnotized. Plain old garden-variety hypnotized, and if he hasn't been told to save himself, he won't. Will you?"
"Sure. I'll bring him back here." Smoky turned to the airlock.
"Hey!" Garner yelped.
"There's only one thing that bothers me. Pluto isn't very big. Do you suppose the suit may have been blown back into space by the explosion when it hit?"
"If it was, I'll kill you," said Kzanol.
"Don't tell me, let me guess," begged Garner. "Aha! I've got it. Smoky Petropoulos. How are you?"
"Not as good as your memory. It's been a good twenty-two years." Smoky stood behind the two seats, in the airlock space, and grinned at the windshield reflection of the two men. There wasn't room to do much else. "How the hell are you, Garner? Why don't you turn around and shake hands with an old buddy?"
"I can't, Smoky. We've been ordered not to move by a BEM that doesn't take no for an answer. Maybe a good hypnotherapist could get us out of this fix, but we'll have to wait 'til then. By the way, meet Leroy Anderson."
"Hi."
"Now give us a couple of cigarettes, Smoky, and put them in the corners of our mouths so we can talk. Are your boys chasing Greenberg and the BEM?"
"Yeah." Smoky fumbled with cigarettes and a lighter. "Just what is this game of musical chairs?"
"What do you mean?"
Old Smoky put their cigarettes where they belonged. He said, "That honeymoon special took off for Pluto. Why?"
"Pluto!"
"Surprised?"
"It wasn't here," said Anderson.
"Right," said Garner. "We know what they're after, and we know now they didn't find it here. But I can't imagine why they think it's on Pluto. Oops! Hold it" Garner puffed furiously at his cigarette: good honest tobacco with the tars and nicotine still in it. He didn't seem to have any trouble moving his face. "Pluto may have been a moon of Neptune once. Maybe that has something to do with it. How about Greenberg's ship? Is it going in the same direction?"
"Uh uh. Wherever it is, its drive is off. We lost sight of it four hours ago."
Anderson spoke up. "If your friend is still aboard he could be in trouble."
"Right," said Garner. "Smoky, that ship could be falling into Neptune with Lloyd Masney aboard. You remember him? A big, stocky guy with a mustache."
"I think so. Is he paralyzed too?"
"He's hypnotized. Plain old garden-variety hypnotized, and if he hasn't been told to save himself, he won't. Will you?"
"Sure. I'll bring him back here." Smoky turned to the airlock.
"Hey!" Garner yelped.