"E. E. Doc Smith - D' Alembert 9 - The Omicron Invasion" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith E. E. Doc)

A beam from one of the enemy vessels lashed out and touched the H-16's hull. It would not
ordinarily have been a fatal blow but Lady A, wanting to leave no evidence of their escape from the ship,
had rigged the H-16 to self-destruct the instant it was hit by enemy fire. The scene on the glider's monitor
suddenly went dark as the ship exploded in a thunderous blast of white-hot vapor.

The glider's passengers, though, had little time to contemplate such matters—they were too busy
holding on for their lives. The violent air currents that comprised the rainstorm rattled the tiny craft with
teeth-jarring intensity. Shearing winds threatened to rip the glider apart at any moment; the glider bucked,
rolled, and pitched worse than any roller-coaster.

Even with her superhuman strength, Lady A had to fight to maintain control of the glider. The
craft rolled over completely several times, and the mechanized controls seemed to have a will of their
own. The five passengers behind the pilot's seat were buffeted back and forth against the walls and each
other till they were thoroughly sore. Still the glider kept falling at a rate that seemed far too fast for the
passengers' comfort.

Jules and Yvette exchanged worried glances. Had Lady A's vanity led her into taking a gamble
even she couldn't pull off? Seated behind her as they were they couldn't watch the expressions on her face,
but her body posture seemed as unyielding as ever as she struggled with the balky controls. Not for the
first time the agents regretted placing their lives in her hands.

At last, when they were barely half a kilometer above ground level, the storm relaxed its grip. The
rain eased slightly from a downpour to a monotonous beat against the glider's body and the winds, while
still harsh, were manageable by a skilled pilot—which Lady A certainly was.

Ivanov pointed to starboard. "Town at two o'clock," he called.

They could all see a small cluster of buildings just on the horizon indicating one of the villages
they knew should be in this area. Lady A saw it and nodded, then veered the craft slightly to port. Her
reasoning was clear; they didn't want to bring the glider down too close to the town because they might be
seen and the enemy could be alerted once again to their presence. As distasteful as it was, they would have
to land somewhere in open countryside and walk into the village.

They circled the area for a while, riding the unpredictable winds, until Lady A found a site that
pleased her. She wanted something smooth and open to provide an easy landing field, yet close enough to
shelter that they could cover up their glider and camouflage it from aerial inspection. They didn't want
some enemy pilot spotting the vehicle by accident; the longer they remained undetected, the better their
chances of succeeding in their mission.

At last they found what they wanted: A broad open field in which to land, bordered by an orchard
in which the small glider could safely be hidden from aerial view. There was always a chance it would be
discovered by someone on the ground, but they didn't have the tools to bury it. At least their craft would
not be in casual sight.

They spiraled in for a landing, watching the land flow beneath them like a kaleidoscope. As they
came lower the buffeting by the rain and the crosswinds increased once more, but Lady A handled the
controls with an expert touch and kept them on an even course. Jules found himself looking at her with
regret that she was such a cold, vicious person—she had so many skills and talents that could be put to use
in better ways than scheming to overthrow the Empire.