"Campbell, John W Jr - Who Goes There" - читать интересную книгу автора (Campbell John W Jr)

Blair came up from the nightmare-haunted depths of sleep abruptly. Connant's face floated vaguely above him; for a moment it seemed a continuance of the wild horror
of the dream. But Connant's face was angry, and a little frightened. "Blair -Blair you damned log, wake up."


"Uh-eh?" The little biologiest rubbed his eyes, his bony, freckled fingers crooked to a mutilated child-fist. From surrounding bunks other faces lifted to stare down
at them.


Connant straightened up. "Get up -and get a lift on. Your damned animal's escaped."


"Escaped -what!" Chief Pilot Van Wall's bull voice roared out with a volume that shook the walls. Down the communication tunnels other voices yelled suddenly. The
dozen inhabitants of Paradise House tumbled in abruptly, Barclay, stocky and bulbous in long woolen underwear, carrying a fire extinguisher.


"What the hell's the matter?" Barclay demanded.
"Your damned beast got loose. I fell asleep about twenty minutes ago, and when I woke up, the thing was gone. Hey, Doc, the hell you say those things can't come to
life. Blair's blasted potential life developed a hell of a lot of potential and walked out on us."


Copper stared blankly. "It wasn't -Earthly," he sighed suddenly. "I -I guess Earthly laws don't apply."
"Well, it applied for leave of abscence and took it. We've got to find it and capture it somehow." Connant swore bitterly, his deep-set black eyes sullen and
angry. "It's a wonder the hellish creature didn't eat me in my sleep."


Blair stared back, his pale eyes suddenly fear-struck. "Maybe it di -er -uh -we'll have to find it."


"You find it. It's your pet. I've had all I want to do with it, sitting there for seven hours with the counter clucking every few seconds, and you birds in here
singing night-music. It's a wonder I got to sleep. I'm going through to the Ad Building."


Commander Garry ducked through the doorway, pulling his belt tight. "You won't have to. Van's roar sounded like the Boeing taking off down wind. So it wasn't
dead?"


"I didn't carry it off in my arms, I assure you," Connant snapped. "The last I saw, that split skull was oozing green goo, like a squashed caterpillar. Doc just
said our laws don't work -it's unearthly. Well, it's an unearthly monster, with an unearthly disposition, judging by the face, wandering around with a split skull
and brains oozing out."


Norris and McReady appeared in the doorway, a doorway filling with other shivering men. "Has anybody seen it coming over here?" Norris asked innocently. "About four
feet tall -three red eyes -brains oozing. Hey, has anybody checked to make sure this isn't a cracked idea of humor? If it is, I think we'll united in tying
Blair's pet around Connant's neck like the Ancient Mariner's albatross."


"It's no humor," Connant shivered. "Lord, I wish it were. I'd rather it were -" He stopped. A wild, weird howl shrieked thorugh the corridors. The men stiffened
abruptly, and half turned.