"Norton, Andre - Solar Queen 03- Voodoo Planet" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

IV

DANE REGARDED his throbbing feet morosely. Nymani's operations with burning splinters had been
hard to take, but he had endured them without disgracing himself before the Khatkans, who appeared to
regard such a mishap as just another travel incident. Now, with Tau's salve soothing the worst of the
aftereffects, the Terran was given time to reflect upon his own stupidity and the fact that he might now
prove a drag on the whole party the next morning.

"That's queer . . . "

Dane was startled out of the contemplation of his misery to see the medic on his knees before their row of
canteens, the vial of water purifier held to the firelight for a closer inspection.

"What's the matter?"

"We must have hit with a pretty hard thump back there. Some of these pills are powder! Have to guess
about the portion to add." With the tip of his knife blade Tau scraped a tiny amount of pill fragments into
each waiting canteen. "That should do it. But if the water tastes a little bitter, don't let it bother you."

Bitter water, Dane thought, trying to flex his still swollen toes, was going to be the least of his worries in
the morning. But he determined that his boots should go on at daybreak, and he would keep on his feet as
long as the others did, no matter how much it cost him.

And when they set out shortly after daybreak, wanting to move as far as they could before the heat hours
when they must rest, the going was not too bad. Dane's feet were tender to the touch, but he could shuffle
along at the tail of the procession with only Nymani playing rear guard behind him.

Jungle lay before them and bush knives began to swing, clearing their path. Dane took his turn with the rest
at that chore, thankful that the business of cutting their way through that mass of greenery slowed them to a
pace he could match--if not in comfort, then by willpower.

But the sand worms were not the only troubles one could encounter on Khatka. Within an hour Captain
Jellico stood sweating and speaking his mind freely in the native tongues of five different planets while
Tau and Nymani worked as a team with skinning knives. They were not flaying the spaceman, but they
came near to that in places as they worried a choice selection of tree thorns out of his arm and shoulder.
The captain had been unfortunate enough to trip and fall into the embrace of a very unfriendly bush.

Dane inspected a fallen tree for evidence of inimical wild life, and then rested his blanket between him and
it as a protecting cushion before he sat down. These trees were not the towering giants of the true forests,
but rather oversized bushes which had been made into walls by twined vines. Brilliant bursts of flowers
were splotches of vivid color, and the attendant insect life was altogether too abundant. Dane tried to tally
his immunity shots and hoped for the best. At the moment he wondered why anyone would want to visit
Khatka, let alone pay some astronomical sum for the privilege. Though he could also guess that the plush
safari arranged for a paying client might be run on quite different lines from their own present trek.

How could a tracker find his way through this? With the compasses playing crazy tricks into the bargain!
Jellico knew that the compasses were off, yet the captain had followed Asaki's lead without question, so he
must trust the Ranger's forestcraft. But Dane wished they were clear on the mountain side again.