" Perry Rhodan 0099 - (91) Friend to Mankind" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

Khrest put his hands on the windowsill. Although the glass of the window was non-reflective, Rhodan
believed he could see the face of the Arkonide in it.

"I’m an old man," Khrest said. "At my age many things look different. One gains a certain detachment."

"You will be lonely," the Administrator took another tack. "The robots will wait on you, prepare your
meals and guard the house but perhaps you would like to talk to a human being now and then."

Khrest turned around and looked into Rhodan’s eyes.

"I’m looking forward to being alone," he replied unemotionally. "You still see in me the active Arkonide
scientist." He shook his head and his long hair undulated on his shoulders. "You must accept me for what
I am, a tired old man."

Before Rhodan could make a reply, Lt. Tuncher rushed in with a red face. "Excuse me, sir," he panted.
"These clumsy bunglers didn’t set the house down right—it stands cockeyed."

"It’s not straight?" Khrest wondered. "I didn’t notice it."

"I’ve just measured it," Tuncher reported excitedly. "The floor on which we stand is slanted 1° away
from the shore."
"One degree?" Rhodan was astounded. "Really, Lieutenant, how could you let this happen?"

Tuncher swallowed nervously and looked questioningly at Rhodan. "What shall I do, sir?"

"Take your men and unload the spacejet and the robots," Rhodan ordered.

Tuncher snapped to attention and was about to rush out again when he was called back by the voice of
the Administrator. "Tuncher!"

"Sir?"

"Watch it that the spacedisk is set down properly. I don’t want you to tell me that it is 2° off."

"Yes sir," Tuncher stammered in confusion.

Khrest laughed in amusement as the lieutenant trotted off. "If he runs into a horned burrower, he will
really flip his mind."

"These animals are supposed to be very dangerous," Rhodan commented with arched brows. "You’d
better be careful where you walk, Khrest."

"Of course," the Arkonide agreed. "I’ll also look out that none of the acidthrowers gets close to me.
These beasts are much too excitable. I wouldn’t care to be a target of their streams of concentrated acid.
Ufgar has described these two animals very thoroughly in his report on this planet."

The tall lanky man with the almost haggard face gazed at his old friend. "We will mark this world on our
stellar maps as Khrest’s Planet," he declared. Before the Arkonide could protest, he continued: "The
spacejet which we leave for you will be protected by an energy screen. When you want to board the little
spaceship you will have to transmit the code signal to deactivate the protective screen."