" Perry Rhodan 0033 - (25) Snowman in Flames" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

Orlgans resembled Etztak except that his hair was not grey but of a darker colour, brown or perhaps
dirty-red, depending on how the light fell on it. Orlgans had been the first of his clan to attempt to
incorporate an unwilling Earth into the colonial empire of the Springers.

"A new attack?" His furious voice boomed from the loudspeaker. "Who can tell whether this is a new
one or the same old one! There’s hardly an interval between. I can’t figure it out. These Terranians seem
so inconsistent. They attack, fire a few shots and with-draw—before we can wipe them out."

"You call that inconsistent?" Etztak's laugh bellowed forth. "I’d call it clever and cautious! They know
our forces are definitely superior to theirs."

"Maybe yes," retrenched Orlgans, face contorted in a furious grimace. "And on the other hand, maybe
no."

"Right now there’s a lull in the battle. We’ve enough ships to destroy those two Terranian units if we
really set our minds to it. They’re only playing for time, using diversionary tactics—they seem to want to
head us off from something."

"From what?"

"If I only knew! I’d be much happier," Etztak admitted grudgingly. "Why do they defend a solar system
which is uninhabited and 320 light-years from their own home planet? Theremust be a reason for it!
Rhodan never does anything without good reason."

Orlgans didn’t immediately answer. He was deep in thought while his eyes were fastened on the giant
orange sun which hung far ahead in space. A blue satellite orbited it. Four planets circled two suns in an
eccentric orbit. The system of the double-sun Beta-Albireo, 320 light-years from Earth, totally
insignificant and unimportant, unless…"

"You forget he has a reason, Orlgans said finally. "The second planet of this system harbours a few of
Rhodan’s people, who know more than they have admitted so far. Rhodan tries to prevent our capturing
them."

"So why doesn’t he just kill them?"

"Perhaps…" Orlgans stopped short. To his mind the explanation seemed so fantastic that he didn’t dare
express it.

"Perhaps what?" The patriarch was anxious to hear Orlgans’ theory, no matter how wild.

"Perhaps the Terranians arefriends of Rhodan and for that reason he doesn’t want them dead."

Once more Etztak bellowed forth with uncontrollable laughter. His next words revealed how alien his
philosophy was from that of an Earthman’s, how small a premium he placed on friendship, how
suspicious he was of even those whom he called friends.

"Friends! Why’d he give a damn about that if so much more is at stake? If his friends are dead, Rhodan
will be safe from any betrayal on their part."
 Orlgans remained silent. He had already had dealings with these Earthlings and learned that they often
reacted quite differently from the hardboiled Springers.