"Asimov, Isaac - Anniversary" - читать интересную книгу автора (Asimov Isaac)

the Sun."

"They've been picking up pieces," said Brandon.

"Yes, the tea per cent that managed to make a Vestan orbit out of

it. That's all."

Brandon wasn't giving up. He said thoughtfully, "Suppose it were
there and they hadn't found it. Could someone have beat them to

it?"

Mike Shea laughed. "We were right there, but we sure didn't
walk off with anything but our skins, and glad to do that much.

Who else?"
"That's right," agreed Moore, "and if anyone else picked it up,

why are they keeping it a secret?"

"Maybe they don't know what it is."

"Then how do we go about—" Moore broke off and turned to
Shea, "What did you say?"

Shea looked blank. "Who, me?"

"Just now, about us being there." Moore's eyes narrowed. He
shook his bead as though to clear it, then whispered, "Great Gal-

"What is it?" asked Brandon tensely. "What's the matter, War-
ren?"

"I'm not sure. You're driving me mad with your theories; so mad,
I'm beginning to take them seriously, I think. You know, we did
take some things out of the wreck with us. I mean besides our
clothes and what personal belongings we still had. Or at least I
did."

"What?"

"It was when I was making my way across the outside of the
wreckage—space, I seem to be there now, I see it so clearly—•
I picked up some items and put them in the pocket of ray spacesuit.
I don't know why; I wasn't myself, really. I did it without thinking.
And then, well, I held oa to them. Souvenirs, I suppose. I brought
them back to Earth."