"E. C. Tubb - Dumarest 27 - Earth is Heaven" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tubb E. C)

about. The Chandorah's trouble enough for any ship. You knew it
was close and it could have played on your mind."

Maybe, but Dumarest didn't think so. He said, "How's your
head?"

"It feels heavy. Why?"

"Andre?"

"A slight ache. Pills will cure it."

The pills should have cured the engineer's, but even as
Dumarest turned from the intercom he saw the man help himself
to more. Headaches—his own temples had begun to throb,
lassitude, excessive warmth—why had he been so blind?

"The air," he said. "Something's wrong with the air. Let's
check the plant."

Access lay behind a panel lying in a compartment thick with
crude adornment. Graffiti showed in a profusion of images,
hieroglyphs, names. Scratches incised by a variety of hands;
bored mercenaries, passengers, crewmen, poor wretches held
captive before being sold into slavery. In its time the Erce had
carried them all.

The panel itself was five feet high, three broad, edged with
hexagonal bolts. On it some unknown artist had drawn a picture
of grotesque obscenity. It blurred as Dumarest heaved on his
wrench, sweat stinging his eyes, the picture taking on a new and
different form. The writhing limbs became a surround for the
central figure, the wantonly cruel face altering to adopt the stark
outlines of a skull. An optical illusion reminding the viewer that
things are not always what they seem.

Craig grunted as the panel swung open. "I'll make the check.
There isn't room for two and I know what I'm doing." He
fumbled at the edge of the opening and light flared to illuminate
cleats and grills bearing small strands of colored material which
fluttered in the wind created by the passage of air. "We've
circulation at least. Give me time and I'll make a full report."

Dumarest said, "Just find out what's wrong."

He waited as the engineer delved into the plant, hearing
scrapes and metallic sounds, a muffled cursing. When he
returned he was blunt.

"It's dead, Earl. The fans are working but the exchangers are