[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
"No, that's the bathroom. Keep going until you see a door on your left. It
will lead to a narrow chute at the end of which you will find the gunner's
chair. Am I to assume you wish to try and make use of it?''
"You are to assume, yeah, right. Lemme at it!"
"The system will adapt itself to your requirements and "
"Never mind, man!" Seeth was already out of his chair, trying to maintain his
balance. "I'll work out the rest." He started stumbling and staggering toward
the hallway. Evidently, the ship's internal compensators were having a hard
time dealing with the evasive gyrations Rail was putting the vessel through.
As Seeth passed Kerwin he pulled a small switchblade from a pocket sewn to the
right leg of his pants.
"Here, man. If they board us, don't let 'em take you alive!" He continued out
into the hall, bumping into Mi-randa as she emerged from the John. "No time
now, babe. Maybe later."
For a change she didn't snap back, just blinked at him and stumbled to her
seat. She had a dazed look in her eyes.
"Boy, that was strange
."
Kerwin badly wanted to ask her why it was strange, but didn't have half the
courage. Besides which, deep down he wasn't sure he really wanted to know. She
kept talking anyway.
"I mean, a friend of mine had a bidet in her bathroom, but that you could
figure out."
The ship shuddered in a new way. "Ah," said Rail, "your friend has found the
gunner's chair. I fear he is more enthusiastic than accurate, but perhaps his
very unpredictability will confuse the Oomemians. They will rely on their
gunnery computers to reply, and they will have difficulty because they will be
unable to ascertain a pattern in our defense."
"That's for damn sure," Kerwin told him. "Hey, you mean Seeth's actually
firing the thing? And by the way, he's not my friend. He's a punk, a pest, and
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
an antisocial freak."
"He's also not hitting anything," said Rail thought-fully, "but if naught
else, he's shooting a lot."
"Probably likes the noise. Me, I don't like guns much."
"All that matters is that he delay them slightly to give us a little more
time. The preparations for the slipspace slide are nearly complete."
"What's slipspace?"
"Where things move fast, young male Kerwin. A lot faster than they do in
normal space. When we slide there, we'll move fast too. We certainly can't
outrun the Oomemians in normal space. There's just no place to hide in normal
space, but in slipspace everything is distorted, including tracking devices.
We should be able to lose them, if they don't fry us first."
"So shut up and concentrate on sliding!"
"It doesn't matter if I talk. The process takes time and you can't rush it.
Sort of like basting a turkey with high-tech physics, is how I believe some of
your people might put it. A quite normal if complicated business, rather like
shifting from drive into low without destroying the trans-mission in the
process." He paused for a moment to address what must have been an intercom.
"Do be careful cautious back there, Mr. Seeth. There is such a thing as
overwhelming the safeties. That was our stem you nearly shot off a moment ago.
I really don't think it's possible for you to do that, but a little more
judgement on your part would be appreciated."
"Eehah! Yowie! Wahoo!" came the reply.
Rail frowned, glanced back at Kerwin. "What means? I thought my English was
perfect good."
"It's fine. He's the one who can't talk. When he gets like that nobody can
talk to him. He doesn't really care if he does shoot the ship's stern off.
Probably would think it looked neat."
"Hey, slow down up there, Railman. You're going so fast I can't hit anybody."
"Just keep firing, Mr. Seeth, at anything but us. You're doing fine as you
are."
"I am, huh? Swell." The ship shuddered as the energy weapon resumed rapid
firing.
"I guess we're too far out to get KDK.W or like that, huh?" muttered
Miranda. "I mean, I think I just saw Saturn or Uranus or one of those big
gassy things go by on our right."
"I'm afraid the time delay would make reception impos-sible unreal at this
distance." The ship quivered. "Mr. Seeth?"
"Hey, just Seeth, okay? I think I almost got 'em that time!"
"Keep it up going. You are doing well." Rail looked back toward Kerwin and
Miranda. "He is, you know. Your friend's actions must strike the Oomemians
as in-sane. He's being very clever."
"Cleverness has nothing to do with it. He insane."
is
Rail laughed, a light, stuttering whine. "Ah, you hu-mans and your sense of
humor." He turned back to his instruments. "Truly they want Izmir back very
badly."
"If there's anything you'll be able to count on, it's Seeth's
unpredictability."
What's this, Kerwin thought, jealousy? What for? Seeth was probably pushing
the firing buttons with his nose. He didn't know what he was doing anymore
than the Oomemians did, which, if Rail was to be believed, was the best
possible reaction under the circum-stances.
"Oh, damn!"
Immediately, he turned in his chair to look back at Miranda. "What's wrong?
Are you hurt?" The ship was rattled by another near miss, and this time even
Page 44
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Rail flinched.
"I broke a nail. Can you believe that? After that rotten ride in the van and
bashing through the woods without even stumbling, I sit on my hand and break a [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl aikidobyd.xlx.pl
"No, that's the bathroom. Keep going until you see a door on your left. It
will lead to a narrow chute at the end of which you will find the gunner's
chair. Am I to assume you wish to try and make use of it?''
"You are to assume, yeah, right. Lemme at it!"
"The system will adapt itself to your requirements and "
"Never mind, man!" Seeth was already out of his chair, trying to maintain his
balance. "I'll work out the rest." He started stumbling and staggering toward
the hallway. Evidently, the ship's internal compensators were having a hard
time dealing with the evasive gyrations Rail was putting the vessel through.
As Seeth passed Kerwin he pulled a small switchblade from a pocket sewn to the
right leg of his pants.
"Here, man. If they board us, don't let 'em take you alive!" He continued out
into the hall, bumping into Mi-randa as she emerged from the John. "No time
now, babe. Maybe later."
For a change she didn't snap back, just blinked at him and stumbled to her
seat. She had a dazed look in her eyes.
"Boy, that was strange
."
Kerwin badly wanted to ask her why it was strange, but didn't have half the
courage. Besides which, deep down he wasn't sure he really wanted to know. She
kept talking anyway.
"I mean, a friend of mine had a bidet in her bathroom, but that you could
figure out."
The ship shuddered in a new way. "Ah," said Rail, "your friend has found the
gunner's chair. I fear he is more enthusiastic than accurate, but perhaps his
very unpredictability will confuse the Oomemians. They will rely on their
gunnery computers to reply, and they will have difficulty because they will be
unable to ascertain a pattern in our defense."
"That's for damn sure," Kerwin told him. "Hey, you mean Seeth's actually
firing the thing? And by the way, he's not my friend. He's a punk, a pest, and
Page 43
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
an antisocial freak."
"He's also not hitting anything," said Rail thought-fully, "but if naught
else, he's shooting a lot."
"Probably likes the noise. Me, I don't like guns much."
"All that matters is that he delay them slightly to give us a little more
time. The preparations for the slipspace slide are nearly complete."
"What's slipspace?"
"Where things move fast, young male Kerwin. A lot faster than they do in
normal space. When we slide there, we'll move fast too. We certainly can't
outrun the Oomemians in normal space. There's just no place to hide in normal
space, but in slipspace everything is distorted, including tracking devices.
We should be able to lose them, if they don't fry us first."
"So shut up and concentrate on sliding!"
"It doesn't matter if I talk. The process takes time and you can't rush it.
Sort of like basting a turkey with high-tech physics, is how I believe some of
your people might put it. A quite normal if complicated business, rather like
shifting from drive into low without destroying the trans-mission in the
process." He paused for a moment to address what must have been an intercom.
"Do be careful cautious back there, Mr. Seeth. There is such a thing as
overwhelming the safeties. That was our stem you nearly shot off a moment ago.
I really don't think it's possible for you to do that, but a little more
judgement on your part would be appreciated."
"Eehah! Yowie! Wahoo!" came the reply.
Rail frowned, glanced back at Kerwin. "What means? I thought my English was
perfect good."
"It's fine. He's the one who can't talk. When he gets like that nobody can
talk to him. He doesn't really care if he does shoot the ship's stern off.
Probably would think it looked neat."
"Hey, slow down up there, Railman. You're going so fast I can't hit anybody."
"Just keep firing, Mr. Seeth, at anything but us. You're doing fine as you
are."
"I am, huh? Swell." The ship shuddered as the energy weapon resumed rapid
firing.
"I guess we're too far out to get KDK.W or like that, huh?" muttered
Miranda. "I mean, I think I just saw Saturn or Uranus or one of those big
gassy things go by on our right."
"I'm afraid the time delay would make reception impos-sible unreal at this
distance." The ship quivered. "Mr. Seeth?"
"Hey, just Seeth, okay? I think I almost got 'em that time!"
"Keep it up going. You are doing well." Rail looked back toward Kerwin and
Miranda. "He is, you know. Your friend's actions must strike the Oomemians
as in-sane. He's being very clever."
"Cleverness has nothing to do with it. He insane."
is
Rail laughed, a light, stuttering whine. "Ah, you hu-mans and your sense of
humor." He turned back to his instruments. "Truly they want Izmir back very
badly."
"If there's anything you'll be able to count on, it's Seeth's
unpredictability."
What's this, Kerwin thought, jealousy? What for? Seeth was probably pushing
the firing buttons with his nose. He didn't know what he was doing anymore
than the Oomemians did, which, if Rail was to be believed, was the best
possible reaction under the circum-stances.
"Oh, damn!"
Immediately, he turned in his chair to look back at Miranda. "What's wrong?
Are you hurt?" The ship was rattled by another near miss, and this time even
Page 44
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Rail flinched.
"I broke a nail. Can you believe that? After that rotten ride in the van and
bashing through the woods without even stumbling, I sit on my hand and break a [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]