"Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. Probationers (engl) " - читать интересную книгу автора

the tripod in the workshop and peeked inside the dining hall. Natasha was
sitting by the radio.
- Reported it already? - asked Matti.
- You know, I get so discouraged by this, - she said grudgingly. -
Honestly, it would have been easier to run over there
- And what is it? - asked Matti.
Natasha abruptly turned the volume regulator. A low and weary voice
hummed inside the room: "Number seven, number seven, this is Syrt. Why is
there no summary? Hear me, number seven? Send the summary now!" Number seven
started muttering numbers.
- Syrt! - said Natasha. - Syrt! This is number one!
- Number one, don't interfere, - said the weary voice. - Have some
patience.
- Here you are, then, - said Natasha and turned the volume control the
other way.
- And what exactly are you going to tell them? - asked Matti.
- About what has happened, - Natasha replied. - This is an emergency.
- Can't call it an emergency, - disagreed Matti. - Every night we have
such an emergency.
Natasha pensively rested her cheek on a fist.
- You know, Matti, - she said, - indeed this is the first time the
leech came during the day.
Matti placed his entire hand over his face. It was true. Previously the
leeches came either late at night or right before dawn.
- Right, - he said. - R-r-right. This is how I see it: total insolence.
- That's how I see it as well, - Natasha remarked. - What's out there,
on the ground?
- You better see for yourself, - said Matti. - My camera was wrecked. I
won't be observing tonight.
- Are the guys there? - Natasha asked.
Matti stumbled.
- Yes, basically there, - said Matti and waived his hand vaguely.
He suddenly imagined, what Natasha would say, when she sees the bullet
hole above the pavilion door.
Natasha turned to the radio again and Matti closed the door quietly
behind him. He left the house and saw the crawler. The crawler was flying at
maximum speed, skipping boldly from dune to dune. Behind it, a solid wall of
dust shot up to the very stars and against this red and yellow background
the mighty figure of Pen'kov, standing at full height with a carabine
resting against his waist was outlined very effectively. Naturally, Sergey
was driving the crawler. He directed the vehicle right onto Matti and locked
the brakes at five feet. A thick dust cloud wrapped the observation ground.
- Centauri, - said Matti, cleaning his glasses. - An equine face on a
human torso.
- What of it? - said Sergey, jumping off. Behind him, Pen'kov descended
leisurely.
- Escaped, - he said.
- I think you got it, - said Sergey.
Pen'kov nodded pompously.
- I think so, too, - he said.