"E. E. Doc Smith - D' Alembert 7 - Planet of treachery" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith E. E. Doc)

plumage and raising their voices in raucous cries. Insects and small animals added their
own buzzes, clicks and whistles to the jungle cacophony, all contributing to a picture of
serene normality within this untamed environment.

Nothing moved that could not be expected to; there were no sounds that had not been
there on a dozen previous occasions. There was nothing that could be a cause for alarm
or suspicion. But nevertheless, something felt wrong.

The man stood staring into the jungle for more than a minute before finally moving on. He
was a firm believer in the power of protective paranoia; just because he couldn't see
something didn't mean it wasn't there. He had been living with the constant threat of
discovery and death for two years now, and his intuition had been honed to a fine edge.
He moved slowly, checking each step and looking constantly around, his ears alert for
any slight sounds that might tip him off. His hand did not stray from his side where the



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stunner rested easily on his hip. The feeling of being watched increased as he walked.
There were eyes out there studying his every movement, of that fact he grew more and
more certain. But for what purpose? So far, the unseen observer had made no
threatening moves-but the very fact that he was in hiding meant that his intentions would
not stand up to open examination. That was not good.

As the pirate walked, his suspicions grew. The whole purpose of his coming up here had
seemed funny from the start. "Check out the power feed at generating station number
four," his boss had told him. "It's acting up at odd moments, almost as if someone was
playing with it."

The request had seemed strange at the time. "I don't know much about the generators,"
he'd answered. "Wouldn't it be better to send someone from the work crews?"

"I think it may be one of them doing it," the boss had responded. Then, leaning forward,
he added quietly, "We may have an infiltrator on the base, someone trying to sabotage
our work. I trust you; I'd prefer that you have a look and let me know what you find out.
Go the topside route so no one sees you."

There'd been no way to argue with that and so, reluctantly, he'd taken the assignment. It
made sense in a way, though he had to smile despite himself at the irony of the situation.
But now, as he walked carefully through the jungle toward the generating station, the
conversation took on a much more sinister aspect. What if the boss suspected him of
being the infiltrator? What if he had been sent up here to be executed as a traitor to the
organization? Alone and isolated up here, he made a perfect target. Could this be a
setup?

But what would be the point of that? If they suspected him of betraying them they could
just as easily have killed him down in the base, without bothering to go through with this
ambush. The boss held life and death over his subordinates and had killed people in the