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

cosmos."
 "And did it?"
"Beyond all doubt." Lakin let go a cold laugh. "On every planet in the vicinity the inhabitants fought
each other for the privilege of kissing our feet." He let his yellow eyes linger speculatively upon the other.
"We don't expect you to believe all this, not right now."
"Don't you?"
"Of course not. Anyone can fake a stereoscopic record of cosmic disaster. You'd be gullible indeed
if you let us confiscate your world on the strength of nothing better than a three-dimensional picture,
wouldn't you?"
"Credulity has nothing to do with it," assured Fox. "You want to take us over. We're glad to be taken
over. That's all there is to it."
"Look, we can back up our pictures with proof. We can show your own astronomers upon their own
star maps exactly where a minor sun has become a binary. We can name and prove the date on which
this change took place. If that doesn't satisfy them, we can convert to a ball of flaming gas any petty
satellite within this system that they care to choose. We can show them what happens and demonstrate
that we made it happen." He stared at Fox, his expression slightly baffled. "Do you really mean to say
that such proof will not be required?"
"I don't think so. The great majority will accept your claims without argument. A few skeptics may
quibble but they can be ignored."
Lakin frowned in evident dissatisfaction. "I don't understand this. One would almost think your kind
was eager to be conquered. It is not a normal reaction."
"Normal by whose standards?" asked Fox. "We are aliens, aren't we? You must expect us to have
alien mentalities, alien ways of looking at things."
"I need no lecture from you about alien mentalities," snapped Lakin, becoming irritated. "We Raidans
have handled a large enough variety of them. We've mastered more life-forms than your kind can
imagine. And I still say that your attitude is not normal. If Terra reacts in the way you seem to think it will,
without proof, without being given good reason to fear, then everyone here must be a natural-born
slave."
"What's wrong with that?" Fox countered. "If Nature in her wisdom has designed your kind to be the
master race, why shouldn't she have created my kind as slaves?"
"I don't like the way you gloat about your slavery," shouted Lakin. "If Terrans think they can outwit
us, they've another think coming. Do you understand?"
"Most certainly I understand," confirmed Fox, as soothingly as possible.
"Then return to your comrades and tell them what you have seen, what you've been told. If any of
them wish for further evidence, bring them here immediately. I will answer their questions, provide any
proof for which they may ask."
"Very well."
Sitting on the edge of the table, Lakin watched the other go out. He remained seated for ten tedious
minutes. Then he fidgeted for five more, finally mooched several times around the room. Eventually Fox
looked in.
"They are all willing to take my word for it."
"Nobody desires to learn more?" Lakin showed his incredulity.
"No."
"They accept everything without question?"
"Yes," said Fox. "I told you they probably would, didn't I?"
Lakin did not deign to answer that one. He made a curt gesture of dismissal, closed the projection
room, went back to the main cabin. Zalumar was still there, talking to Heisham, who was the fleet's chief
engineer.
Breaking off the conversation, Zalumar said to Lakin, "What happened? Did the bearded low-life get
the usual fit of hysterics?"