"Herbert, Frank - Man of Two Worlds (CA by Frank Herbert)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Herbert Brian & Frank)

Sure, but what do I call you?

My name is Ryll. I suggest you take over control of our body and answer the Zone Patrol's question. I suggest you not tell them about me.

Silence, then: Yeah. They'd think I was nuts unless . . . Say! What's our body look like?

Like you but slightly larger than before the accident. More massive.

Ryll felt the litter being lowered to a flat surface and opened his eyes. He sensed Lutt reaching for dominance in their mutual flesh. Vision blurry -- vague movement of armored figures, a gray bulkhead.

A faceplate came into view.

"He's coming around. Should I give him a shot?"

"Hold it. This deck will shake if that fuel blows."

As though the words created the effect, red brightness erased the shadows. There was the thumping sound of a muffled explosion. Ryll bounced in a wash of heat.

"Jeeedarussi!" It was a voice close to his ear.

The commanding voice boomed out: "Get the fire control team in there or we'll lose the whole thing!"

Ryll heard the movement of many armored humans but could not see them because someone without armor bent close, blocking his view. Ryll saw a wide, heavy head with short hair. Hands probed and tested his new body. Female by the voice and briskly professional.

"We'll 'ray him but there don't appear to be any broken bones."

"If that isn't fool luck I never heard of it. Right next to a dead one, too."

That was a masculine voice from one side.

"His lapel tag says Lutt Hanson, Jr.," the woman said.

The man spoke sharply. "Hanson? This is old L.H.'s kid! I'd better call in."

Ryll still felt the gropings of Lutt Junior trying to take over control of their body. Very tentative and wary, like an insect crawling along his nerves. The human lacked Dreen experience in the mental acceptance of storytelling.

There came the sound of a click and a humming buzz.

Ryll thought: My human head moves on a supple neck. He turned his head toward the sound but could not bring the man into view. The voice was clear, though.

"Sergeant Renner here, sir. We're at the crash site. One survivor with an identity label saying he's Lutt Hanson, Jr."

Silence, then: "No, sir. Fuel spilled and exploded. There are no other survivors."

Ryll focused on a circular crest adorning an arm of the woman bending over him. He filled out the shared memory with an assimilated Dreen Storyteller account.

Zone Patrol. This is the dangerous, all-encompassing United States security force -- a unification of their previous military agencies.

Sergeant Renner spoke: "There was only one other body, sir, and we couldn't get it out."