"044 The Pseudo One" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

"Don't worry about the dummies who have been taken in by our tricks. I want you to help me search for Marshall. They have to be hiding out somewhere and they are thinking. And if they are thinking it should also be possible for us to pick up their brain impulses."
"As if that zany Count Rodrigo de Berceo could think!"
Rhodan's smile was momentarily shadowed by concern, then he nodded slowly. "I should think so, even though I'm afraid that he has nothing else but our good Laury on his mind. That's what muddled things up."
"Yeah, sure," philosophized Pucky, at the same time looking terribly wise. "Love is to blame for it all. I'm never going to fall in love."
"I wouldn't know who with," remarked Rhodan.
Without further comment, Pucky dedicated himself to the task of tracking down Marshall's mental vibrations.

* * * *

Rhodan relaxed and leaned back with his eyes closed. He concentrated on the incoming mental impulses but quickly realized that only some improbable stroke of luck would help him. He saw himself as an amateur radio operator who was trying to detect the messages of a colleague among thousands of transmissions-and even then without a recognition signal.
It was simply impossible to put the thousands or tens of thousands of thought emanations in any order, much less identify them.
But for this very reason Pucky came to the awareness of other things that were no less interesting to him. The impulses were very strong and concerned themselves principally with himself. Judging by their intensity, the originators of these thoughts would actually have to be right here in the hotel.
"They are coming," he said.
Rhodan opened his eyes in astonishment and came back to the hotel room. His groping thoughts had been far away without finding a trace of Marshall or Laury.
"Who is coming?"
"It's those characters who want to put an innocent mouse-beaver in their zoo. I'll send them flying out the window, even though they pretend to be government officials."
Meanwhile, Rhodan had also picked up the approaching thought impulses. "You'll do nothing of the kind, my dear friend. After all, what risk will you be taking if you let them bamboozle you? None whatsoever! On the contrary, I have high expectations from it. Maybe you'll find out something about Marshall. Besides, we can always keep in touch, and if it's necessary you can simply teleport yourself out of harm's way. So what can happen to you?"
"Nothing, nothing at all," admitted Pucky peevishly. "But that's just what bothers me!"
"How come?"
"The shame of it! I, the most intelligent of mouse-beavers, have to be dumber than a police rookie. At least the policemen on Terra. Maybe things are different here but dumb is dumb!"
"Whoever puts something over by acting stupid is smarter than those he deceives, Pucky."
The mouse-beaver swallowed an imaginary lump in his throat. "You always dish out your sugar candy sticks for every medicine, no matter how bitter the dose," he had to admit. "But you have to promise me that Bell will never hear about this!"
"You already have my promise," nodded Rhodan.
"Alright then. So instead of taking a flying loop, the Aras will catch a stupid mouse-beaver. They're just about here now. And by the way, they are in mortal fear of you."
"It's no wonder, since they're thinking about the battleship that I can summon at any moment. In the past 56 years, the Robot Regent must have made a ruthless impression on them. There's no other way of explaining their fear of Arkon."
"Here they are!" Pucky whispered almost inaudibly. Then, telepathically, he added: And now, ladies and gentlemen, we present Pucky Mouse-beaver, the world-famous film star, in the role of a blockhead! Attention! The show begins!"
And in fact, it did begin.
There was a knock at the door. Rhodan again assumed his superciliously arrogant Arkonide manner. He winked almost indolently at Pucky and spoke loudly enough so that he could be heard outside the door. "Pucky, go and see who it is who dares again to disturb my repose. Tolimon appears to be a very restless planet but perhaps it's because they are anxious for me to start my investigations."
Pucky waddled to the door but before he opened it he made such a silly face that it bordered on impudence. His bow was extremely comical. 3 men stepped into the room and paid no attention to the mouse-beaver, even though their thoughts were exclusively concerned with him. They walked a few steps and stopped directly in front of Rhodan. They all bowed in deepest respect.
"We ask a thousand pardons," said the one in the middle of the trio while he tugged embarrassed at his colourful coat. "Perhaps we have come at an inconvenient time but..."
"Since I have not called you here, it is indeed inconvenient," Rhodan confirmed, with an indifferent arrogance that undoubtedly frightened his companions. Pucky bowed deeply again so that the men couldn't see his merry grin.
"It-er-has to do with an invitation from the Government," continued the Ara, who seemed more frightened than embarrassed. "Today a gala reception is to take place in honour of the most gracious inspector from Arkon. We request that you take part in the occasion.
Rhodan probed the spokesman's thoughts and detected the intent to overpower Pucky and take him away during his own absence from the hotel. A special task force for that purpose was already on its way. He leaned back in the chair and gave the impression that he was considering the offer.
"Will the Chief of the Government be present?" he wanted to know.
"Of course, sir! He has already suggested this evening and would consider it an honour if you would accept the invitation."
"At what time?"
"Uh... naturally, a car will be sent for you, sir. As soon as the sun goes down."
"Very well, I shall make an appearance. What about my servant?"
The Ara pretended to be startled by the suggestion. "Your servant, sir? What do you mean?"
"Is he also invited?"
"No, naturally not. Only the most illustrious guests are invited. No one will bring their servants with them."
"I see. Then I'll have to leave him here at the hotel."
The 3 delegates controlled themselves perfectly. They did not betray in the slightest degree how enthused they were over this decision, which heightened the triumph of their secret thoughts. At the door, Pucky appeared to have forgotten his sorrowful role. Rhodan noted that he was struggling to conceal his incisor tooth as well as his rising enthusiasm for this new game of deception. After all, it wasn't every day that one was captured to be put into a zoo. He seemed to have forgotten how much he had vexed himself over this only 10 minutes ago.
"Your car will arrive punctually," promised the Ara spokesman, whereupon the 3 henchmen drew back to the door with many bows. They cast covetous glances at the mouse-beaver and exited.
Pucky closed the door and squeaked restrainedly. "Ha-ha! Those fools! They see me in their net already!"
"And that's what has to happen!" Rhodan reminded him gravely. "Don't forget our plan. I will go to the reception but will only stay there for an hour. I'll think up some flimsy excuse to get away and then I'll come back to the hotel. By that time, hopefully, you will have been successfully kidnapped. We will keep in touch with each other. Naturally I will see that you are missing and I'll quickly make a big commotion about it. Then we'll see what happens."
"So what can happen? I'll guarantee you those characters won't know anything about it and they'll try to talk their way out of the whole thing."
"And I hope that you will pick up some information. You may run into the very people who pursued Marshall and maybe imprisoned him."
"We'll see," said Pucky. "But I'll tell you one thing: the minute they try to put me in a cage, I'll be gone!"
"You may be able to hightail it out of there sooner, Pucky. It will all depend on the circumstances."