"Eric Frank Russell - Basic Right" - читать интересную книгу автора (Russell Eric Frank)

"Lakin, are you near the end of your term?"
"No, sire. I have another twelve years to serve."
"Then you are not yet entitled to be mated. As for those who soon may be entitled, that is their worry
and not yours."
"It will be our worry, sire, if they cause trouble."
Zalumar's yellow eyes flared. "The first mutineers will be slaughtered as a warning to the rest. That is
established space-discipline which I, as commander, am entitled to order. Be assured that I shall have no
hesitation in ordering it should the need arise."
"Yes, sire, but—"
 "But what?"
"I am wondering whether we can afford to take such action."
"Speak plainly, Lakin, and cease to talk in riddles."
"Three years ago," responded Lakin, with a sort of gloomy desperation, "there were sixteen hundred
of us. There are less today."
"Go on."
"Forty-two died in that epidemic of influenza to which they had no natural resistance. Eighteen killed
themselves joyriding in a commandeered plane. Twenty-three have expired from sheer overeating and
indolence. Two vanished while exploring under the seas. This morning three met death by reckless driving
in a powerful sports car which the Terrans had built to their order. About forty more have come to their
end in forty different ways. We're being thinned down slowly but surely. If this goes on long enough,
there'll be none of us left."
"My poor foolish Lakin, if life goes on long enough there will be none of us left no matter where we
are, here or on Raidan."
"On Raidan, sire, our passing would not be tantamount to defeat for us and victory for these
Terrans."
Zalumar favored him with an ugly grin. "In death there is neither victory nor defeat." He made a
gesture of dismissal. "Go thou and paint the long fence . . ."
When the other had departed Zaluinar summoned his chief signals officer. "Shaipin, I have just heard
that some of our men are getting restless. Do you know anything of this?"
"Somebody is always ready to gripe, sire. Every military force has its minority of malcontents. It is
best to ignore them."
"You have six beam-operators per ship, making sixty in all. Are any of these among the grouchers?"
"Not that I am aware of, sire."
"More than two years ago I ordered you to put all the beam-transmitters out of action just sufficiently
to prevent them from being repaired and used in secret. Are they still immobilized? Have you checked
them lately?"
"I examine them every seventh day, sire. They remain unworkable."
"You swear to that?"
"Yes," said Shaipin, positively.
"Good! Could any one of them be restored in less than seven days? Could it be made to function in
between your regular checks?"
"No, sire. It would take at least a month to repair any one of them."
"All right. I continue to hold you personally responsible for seeing to it that nobody interferes with
these transmitters. Anyone caught trying to operate one of them is to be killed on the spot. If you fail in
this, you will answer for it with your head." The look he threw the other showed that he meant it. "Is
Heisham around or is he vacationing some place?"
"I le returned from a tour three or four days ago, sire. Probably he will be in his apartment in the west
wing."
"Tell him I want to see him immediately. While you're at it, find Fox and send him here also."
Heisham and Fox arrived together, the former wearing a broad grin, the latter impassive as usual.