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Deathworld by Harry Harrison, Chapter - XXVI

Chapter - XXVI

XXVI. "It's a strange feeling," Jason said.

"I've never really seen the perimeter from this side before. Ugly is about the only word for it. He lay on his stomach next to Rhes, looking through a screen of leaves, downhill towards the perimeter.

They were both wrapped in heavy furs, in spite of the midday heat, with thick leggings and leather gauntlets to protect their hands. The gravity and the heat were already making Jason dizzy, but he forced himself to ignore this. Ahead, on the far side of a burnt corridor, stood the perimeter.

A high wall, of varying height and texture, seemingly made of everything in the world. It was impossible to tell what it had originally been constructed of. Generations of attackers had bruised, broken, and undermined it. Repairs had been quickly made, patches thrust roughly into place and fixed there. Crude masonry crumbled and gave way to a rat's nest of woven timbers. This overlapped a length of pitted metal, large plates riveted together. Even this metal had been eaten through and bursting sandbags spilled out of a jagged hole. Over the surface of the wall detector wires and charged cables looped and hung. At odd intervals automatic flame-throwers thrust their nozzles over the wall above and swept the base of the wall clear of any life that might have come close. "Those flame things can cause us trouble," Rhes said.

"That one covers the area where you want to break in. "It'll be no problem," Jason assured him.

"It may look like it is firing a random pattern, but it's really not. It varies a simple sweep just enough to fool an animal, but was never meant to keep men out. Look for yourself. It fires at regularly repeated two, four, three and one minute intervals. They crawled back to the hollow where Naxa and the others waited for them.

There were only thirty men in the party. What they had to do could only be done with a fast, light force. Their strongest weapon was surprise. Once that was gone their other weapons wouldn't hold out for seconds against the city guns. Everyone looked uncomfortable in the fur and leather wrappings, and some of the men had loosened them to cool off. "Wrap up," Jason ordered.

"None of you have been this close to the perimeter before and you don't understand how deadly it is here. Naxa is keeping the larger animals away and you all can handle the smaller ones. That isn't the danger. Every thorn is poisoned, and even the blades of grass carry a deadly sting. Watch out for insects of any kind and once we start moving breathe only through the wet cloths. "He's right," Naxa snorted.

"N'ver been closer'n this m'self. Death, death up by that wall. Do like 'e says. They could only wait then, honing down already needle-sharp crossbow bolts, and glancing up at the slowly moving sun.

Only Naxa didn't share the unrest. He sat, eyes unfocused, feeling the movement of animal life in the jungle around them. "On the way," he said.

"Biggest thing I 'ver heard. Not a beast 'tween here and the mountains, ain't howlin' 'is lungs out, runnin' towards the city. Jason was aware of part of it.

A tension in the air and a wave of intensified anger and hatred. It would work, he knew, if they could only keep the attack confined to a small area. The talkers had seemed sure of it. They had stalked out quietly that morning, a thin line of ragged men, moving out in a mental sweep that would round up the Pyrran life and send it charging against the city. "They hit!

Naxa said suddenly. The men were on their feet now, staring in the direction of the city.

Jason had felt the twist as the attack had been driven home, and knew that this was it. There was the sound of shots and a heavy booming far away. Thin streamers of smoke began to blow above the treetops. "Let's get into position," Rhes said.

Around them the jungle howled with an echo of hatred.

The half-sentient plants writhed and the air was thick with small flying things. Naxa sweated and mumbled as he turned back the animals that crashed towards them. By the time they reached the last screen of foliage before the burned-out area, they had lost four men. One had been stung by an insect, Jason got the medikit to him in time, but he was so sick he had to turn back. The other three were bitten or scratched and treatment came too late. Their swollen, twisted bodies were left behind on the trail. "Dam' beasts hurt m'head," Naxa muttered.

"When we go in? "Not yet," Rhes said.

"We wait for the signal. One of the men carried the radio.

He sat it down carefully, then threw the aerial over a branch. The set was shielded so no radiation leaked out to give them away. It was turned on, but only a hiss of atmospheric static came from the speaker. "We could have timed it—" Rhes said.

"No we couldn't," Jason told him.

"Not accurately. We want to hit that wall at the height of the attack, when our chances are best. Even if they hear the message it won't mean a thing to them inside. And a few minutes later it won't matter. The sound from the speaker changed.

A voice spoke a short sentence, then cut off. " Bring me three barrels of flour.

"Let's go," Rhes urged as he started forward.

"Wait," Jason said, taking him by the arm.

"I'm timing the flame-thrower. It's due in ... there !" A blast of fire sprayed the ground, then turned off. "We have four minutes to the next one—we hit the long period! They ran, stumbling in the soft ashes, tripping over charred bones and rusted metal.

Two men grabbed Jason under the arm and half-carried him across the ground. It hadn't been planned that way, but it saved precious seconds. They dropped him against the wall and he fumbled out the bombs he had made. The charges from Krannon's gun, taken when he was killed, had been hooked together with a firing circuit. All the moves had been rehearsed carefully and they went smoothly now. Jason had picked the metal wall as being the best spot to break in.

It offered the most resistance to the native life, so the chances were it wouldn't be reinforced with sandbags or fill, the way other parts of the wall were. If he was wrong, they were all dead. The first men had slapped their wads of sticky congealed sap against the wall.

Jason pressed the charges into them and they stuck, a roughly rectangular pattern as high as a man. While he did this the detonating wire was run out to its length and the raiders pressed back against the base of the wall. Jason stumbled through the ashes to the detonator, fell on it and pressed the switch at the same time. Behind him a thundering bang shook the wall and red flame burst out.

Rhes was the first one there, pulling at the twisted and smoking metal with his gloved hands. Others grabbed on and bent the jagged pieces aside. The hole was filled with smoke and nothing was visible through it. Jason dived into the opening, rolled on a heap of rubble and smacked into something solid. When he blinked the smoke from his eyes he looked around him. He was inside the city.

The others poured through now, picking him up as they charged in so he wouldn't be trampled underfoot.

Someone spotted the spaceship and they ran that way. A man ran around the corner of a building towards them.

His Pyrran reflexes sent him springing into the safety of a doorway the same moment he saw the invaders. But they were Pyrrans, too. The man slumped slowly back onto the street, three metal bolts sticking out of his body. They ran on without stopping, running between the low storehouses. The ship stood ahead. Someone had reached it ahead of them, they could see the outer hatch slowly grinding shut.

A hail of bolts from the bows crashed into it with no effect. "Keep going!

Jason shouted. "Get next to the hull before he reaches the guns. This time three men didn't make it.

The rest of them were under the belly of the ship when every gun let go at once. Most of them were aimed away from the ship, still the scream of shells and electric discharges was ear-shattering. The three men still in the open dissolved under the fire. Whoever was inside the ship had hit all the gun trips at once, both to knock out the attackers and summon aid. He would be on the screen now, calling for help. Their time was running out. Jason reached up and tried to open the hatch, while the others watched.

It was locked from the inside. One of the men brushed him aside and pulled at the inset handle. It broke off in his hand but the hatch remained closed. The big guns had stopped now and they could hear again.

"Did anyone get the gun from that dead man?

he asked. "It would blow this thing open. "No," Rhes said, "we didn't stop.

Before the words were out of his mouth two men were running back towards the buildings, angling away from each other.

The ship's guns roared again, a string of explosions cut across one man. Before they could change direction and find the other man he had reached the buildings. He returned quickly, darting into the open to throw the gun to them.

Before he could dive back to safety the shells caught him. Jason grabbed up the gun as it skidded almost to his feet.

They heard the sound of wide-open truck turbines screaming towards them as he blasted the lock. The mechanism sighed and the hatch sagged open. They were all through the air lock before the first truck appeared. Naxa stayed behind with the gun, to hold the lock until they could take the control room. Everyone climbed faster than Jason, once he had pointed them the way, so the battle was over when he got there.

The single city Pyrran looked like a pin-cushion. One of the techs had found the gun controls and was shooting wildly, the sheer quantity of his fire driving the trucks back. "Someone get on the radio and tell the talkers to call the attack off," Jason said.

He found the communications screen and snapped it on. Kerk's wide-eyed face stared at him from the screen. " You!

Kerk said, breathing the word like a curse. "Yes, it's me," Jason answered.

He talked without looking up, while his hands were busy at the control board. "Listen to me, Kerk—and don't doubt anything I say. I may not know how to fly one of these ships, but I do know how to blow them up. Do you hear that sound?" He flipped over a switch and the faraway whine of a pump droned faintly. "That's the main fuel pump. If I let it run—which I won't right now—it could quickly fill the drive chamber with raw fuel. Pour in so much that it would run out of the stern tubes. Then what do you think would happen to your one and only spacer if I pressed the firing button? I'm not asking you what would happen to me, since you don't care—but you need this ship the way you need life itself. There was only silence in the cabin now, the men who had won the ship turned to face him.

Kerk's voice grated loudly through the room. "What do you want, Jason—what are you trying to do?

Why did you lead those animals in here ..." His voice cracked and broke as anger choked him and spilled over. "Watch your tongue, Kerk," Jason said with soft menace.

"These men you are talking about are the only ones on Pyrrus who have a spaceship. If you want them to share it with you, you had better learn to talk nicely. Now come over here at once—and bring Brucco and Meta." Jason looked at the older man's florid and swollen face and felt a measure of sympathy. "Don't look so unhappy, it's not the end of the world. In fact, it might be the beginning of one. And another thing, leave this channel open when you go. Have it hooked into every screen in the city so everyone can see what happens here. Make sure it's taped too, for replay. Kerk started to say something, but changed his mind before he did.

He left the screen, but the set stayed alive. Carrying the scene in the control room to the entire city.

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Chapter - XXVI |XXVI(1) Kapitel - XXVI Capítulo - XXVI 第二十六章 Rozdział - XXVI Bölüm - XXVI

XXVI. "It’s a strange feeling," Jason said.

"I’ve never really seen the perimeter from this side before. Ugly is about the only word for it. потворний||||||| He lay on his stomach next to Rhes, looking through a screen of leaves, downhill towards the perimeter. |||||||||||екран|||||| He lay on his stomach next to Rhes, looking through a screen of leaves, downhill towards the perimeter.

They were both wrapped in heavy furs, in spite of the midday heat, with thick leggings and leather gauntlets to protect their hands. ||||||||||||||||||перчатки|||| ||||||||||||||||||рукавиці|||| They were both wrapped in heavy furs, in spite of the midday heat, with thick leggings and leather gauntlets to protect their hands. Оба они, несмотря на полуденный зной, были закутаны в тяжелые меха, в толстых крагах и кожаных рукавицах, чтобы защитить руки. The gravity and the heat were already making Jason dizzy, but he forced himself to ignore this. Ahead, on the far side of a burnt corridor, stood the perimeter. Ahead, on the far side of a burnt corridor, stood the perimeter. Впереди, на дальнем конце выжженного коридора, стоял периметр.

A high wall, of varying height and texture, seemingly made of everything in the world. Высокая стена разной высоты и текстуры, казалось бы, сделанная из всего на свете. Висока стіна, різної висоти та текстури, здавалося, зроблена з усього на світі. It was impossible to tell what it had originally been constructed of. Невозможно было сказать, из чего он был первоначально построен. Було неможливо сказати, з чого вона спочатку була побудована. Generations of attackers had bruised, broken, and undermined it. ||||пошкодили|||| Поколения нападавших искажали, ломали и подрывали его. Покоління нападників завдали їй ударів, зламали та підкопали. Repairs had been quickly made, patches thrust roughly into place and fixed there. Repairs had been quickly made, patches thrust roughly into place and fixed there. Починку сделали быстро, заплаты грубо поставили на место и закрепили там. Crude masonry crumbled and gave way to a rat’s nest of woven timbers. ||||||||||||древесины |stonework||||||||||| |цегляна кладка|||||||щуряче гніздо|||| Грубая кладка рассыпалась и уступила место крысиному гнезду из плетеных бревен. This overlapped a length of pitted metal, large plates riveted together. |||||пористого||||| |||||dented||||| |перекривало||||вибоїстий||||| This overlapped a length of pitted metal, large plates riveted together. Он перекрывал отрезок изрытого металла, большие пластины, склепанные вместе. Even this metal had been eaten through and bursting sandbags spilled out of a jagged hole. ||||||проткнуто|||мішки з піском|||||| Even this metal had been eaten through and bursting sandbags spilled out of a jagged hole. Даже этот металл был проеден, и из рваной дыры высыпались лопнувшие мешки с песком. Over the surface of the wall detector wires and charged cables looped and hung. ||||||||||кабелі|згорталися|| Над поверхностью стены свисали провода детектора и заряженные кабели. At odd intervals automatic flame-throwers thrust their nozzles over the wall above and swept the base of the wall clear of any life that might have come close. ||||||||насадки|||||||||||||||||||| ||||||||насадки|||||||||||||||||||| At odd intervals automatic flame-throwers thrust their nozzles over the wall above and swept the base of the wall clear of any life that might have come close. Через нечетные промежутки автоматические огнеметы выпускали свои сопла над стеной наверху и очищали основание стены от любой жизни, которая могла приблизиться. "Those flame things can cause us trouble," Rhes said. «Эти огненные твари могут доставить нам неприятности», — сказал Рес.

"That one covers the area where you want to break in. «Этот покрывает область, в которую вы хотите проникнуть. "It’ll be no problem," Jason assured him.

"It may look like it is firing a random pattern, but it’s really not. «Может показаться, что он запускает случайный паттерн, но на самом деле это не так. It varies a simple sweep just enough to fool an animal, but was never meant to keep men out. It varies a simple sweep just enough to fool an animal, but was never meant to keep men out. Он меняет простой взмах, достаточный для того, чтобы обмануть животное, но никогда не предназначался для защиты от людей. Look for yourself. It fires at regularly repeated two, four, three and one minute intervals. They crawled back to the hollow where Naxa and the others waited for them.

There were only thirty men in the party. В отряде было всего тридцать человек. What they had to do could only be done with a fast, light force. То, что они должны были сделать, можно было сделать только быстрой и легкой силой. Their strongest weapon was surprise. Самым сильным их оружием была внезапность. Once that was gone their other weapons wouldn’t hold out for seconds against the city guns. Once that was gone their other weapons wouldn't hold out for seconds against the city guns. Как только это исчезнет, их другое оружие не продержится и секунды против городских орудий. Everyone looked uncomfortable in the fur and leather wrappings, and some of the men had loosened them to cool off. ||||||||обгортки з хутра та шкіри||||||||||| Everyone looked uncomfortable in the fur and leather wrappings, and some of the men had loosened them to cool off. Усі виглядали незручно в хутряних та шкіряних обгортках, і деякі чоловіки їх ослабили, щоб охолодитися. "Wrap up," Jason ordered. — Заканчивай, — приказал Джейсон. "Зараза," - наказав Джейсон.

"None of you have been this close to the perimeter before and you don’t understand how deadly it is here. «Никто из вас раньше не был так близко к периметру, и вы не понимаете, насколько здесь смертельно опасно. "Жоден з вас ніколи не був так близько до периметра раніше, і ви не розумієте, наскільки тут небезпечно. Naxa is keeping the larger animals away and you all can handle the smaller ones. Накса отпугивает крупных животных, а вы все справитесь с более мелкими. That isn’t the danger. Это не опасность. Every thorn is poisoned, and even the blades of grass carry a deadly sting. |колючка|||||||||||| Каждая колючка отравлена, и даже травинки несут смертельное жало. Watch out for insects of any kind and once we start moving breathe only through the wet cloths. Следите за любыми насекомыми, и как только мы начнем двигаться, дышите только через мокрые тряпки. "He’s right," Naxa snorted. |||«вихаркнув»

"N’ver been closer’n this m’self. Never||||самим собой «Никогда не был ближе, чем я сам. Death, death up by that wall. Death, death up by that wall. Смерть, смерть у этой стены. Do like 'e says. Делай, как он говорит. They could only wait then, honing down already needle-sharp crossbow bolts, and glancing up at the slowly moving sun. |||||sharpening|||||||||||||| |||||загострюючи||||||||поглядаючи|||||| Им оставалось только ждать, затачивая и без того острые как иголки арбалетные болты, и поглядывая на медленно движущееся солнце.

Only Naxa didn’t share the unrest. |Накса||||неспокій He sat, eyes unfocused, feeling the movement of animal life in the jungle around them. Он сидел, расфокусировав глаза, ощущая движение животных в джунглях вокруг себя. "On the way," he said. — В пути, — сказал он.

"Biggest thing I 'ver heard. |||всё| Not a beast 'tween here and the mountains, ain’t howlin' 'is lungs out, runnin' towards the city. |||между||||||воет||||||| Not a beast 'tween here and the mountains, ain't howlin' 'is lungs out, runnin' towards the city. Ни один зверь между здесь и горами, не воет, не выдыхает, не бежит к городу. Jason was aware of part of it. Джейсон|||||| Джейсон отчасти знал об этом.

A tension in the air and a wave of intensified anger and hatred. Напряжение в воздухе и волна нарастающей злости и ненависти. It would work, he knew, if they could only keep the attack confined to a small area. Он знал, что это сработает, если только они смогут ограничить атаку небольшой территорией. The talkers had seemed sure of it. Говорящие казались уверенными в этом. They had stalked out quietly that morning, a thin line of ragged men, moving out in a mental sweep that would round up the Pyrran life and send it charging against the city. |||||||||||изможденных||||||||||||||||||||| ||||||||||||чоловіків|||||||||||||||||||| They had stalked out quietly that morning, a thin line of ragged men, moving out in a mental sweep that would round up the Pyrran life and send it charging against the city. Этим утром они тихо вышли, тоненькая шеренга оборванных мужчин, двигаясь мысленно, чтобы собрать всю пиррянскую жизнь и отправить ее в атаку на город. "They hit! «Они попали!

Naxa said suddenly. The men were on their feet now, staring in the direction of the city.

Jason had felt the twist as the attack had been driven home, and knew that this was it. Jason had felt the twist as the attack had been driven home, and knew that this was it. Джейсон почувствовал поворот, когда атака достигла цели, и знал, что это конец. There was the sound of shots and a heavy booming far away. |||||||||гучний гуркі|| There was the sound of shots and a heavy booming far away. Thin streamers of smoke began to blow above the treetops. |струйки|||||||| Тонкие струйки дыма стали подниматься над верхушками деревьев. "Let’s get into position," Rhes said. — Давайте займем позицию, — сказал Рес.

Around them the jungle howled with an echo of hatred. Вокруг них джунгли выли эхом ненависти.

The half-sentient plants writhed and the air was thick with small flying things. ||||извивались||||||||| ||напівсвідомі||||||||||| The half-sentient plants writhed and the air was thick with small flying things. Полуразумные растения корчились, а воздух был наполнен маленькими летающими существами. Naxa sweated and mumbled as he turned back the animals that crashed towards them. Naxa sweated and mumbled as he turned back the animals that crashed towards them. Накса, потный и бормоча, повернул назад животных, которые рухнули на них. By the time they reached the last screen of foliage before the burned-out area, they had lost four men. |||||||||листвы|||||||||| К тому времени, когда они достигли последней полосы листвы перед выжженным участком, они потеряли четырех человек. One had been stung by an insect, Jason got the medikit to him in time, but he was so sick he had to turn back. One had been stung by an insect, Jason got the medikit to him in time, but he was so sick he had to turn back. Одного ужалило насекомое, Джейсон вовремя принес ему аптечку, но он был так болен, что ему пришлось вернуться. The other three were bitten or scratched and treatment came too late. The other three were bitten or scratched and treatment came too late. Остальные трое были укушены или поцарапаны, и лечение было начато слишком поздно. Their swollen, twisted bodies were left behind on the trail. |опухшие|||||||| Their swollen, twisted bodies were left behind on the trail. Их опухшие, скрюченные тела остались на тропе. "Dam' beasts hurt m’head," Naxa muttered. |||голову|| «Чертовы звери повредили мне голову», — пробормотал Накса.

"When we go in? "Когда мы войдем? "Not yet," Rhes said.

"We wait for the signal. One of the men carried the radio. Один из мужчин нес рацию.

He sat it down carefully, then threw the aerial over a branch. ||||||||антенну||| He sat it down carefully, then threw the aerial over a branch. Он осторожно опустил ее, затем перебросил антенну через ветку. The set was shielded so no radiation leaked out to give them away. |||захищена||||вийшла||||| The set was shielded so no radiation leaked out to give them away. Набор был экранирован, чтобы никакая радиация не выдала их. It was turned on, but only a hiss of atmospheric static came from the speaker. |||||||шипение||||||| It was turned on, but only a hiss of atmospheric static came from the speaker. Он был включен, но из динамика доносилось лишь шипение атмосферной статики. "We could have timed it—" Rhes said. "We could have timed it—" Rhes said. — Мы могли бы рассчитать время… — сказал Рес.

"No we couldn’t," Jason told him. "No we couldn't," Jason told him. "Нет, мы не можем", - сказал ему Джейсон.

"Not accurately. "Не точно. We want to hit that wall at the height of the attack, when our chances are best. We want to hit that wall at the height of the attack, when our chances are best. Мы хотим поразить эту стену в разгар атаки, когда наши шансы наилучшие. Even if they hear the message it won’t mean a thing to them inside. Even if they hear the message it won't mean a thing to them inside. Даже если они услышат сообщение, оно ничего не будет значить для них внутри. And a few minutes later it won’t matter. А через несколько минут уже будет неважно. The sound from the speaker changed. Звук из динамика изменился.

A voice spoke a short sentence, then cut off. Голос произнес короткую фразу, затем оборвался. " Bring me three barrels of flour. " Bring me three barrels of flour. «Принеси мне три бочонка муки.

"Let’s go," Rhes urged as he started forward. — Пошли, — призвал Рес, двигаясь вперед.

"Wait," Jason said, taking him by the arm.

"I’m timing the flame-thrower. ||||вогнемет "Я засекаю огнемет. It’s due in ... there !" Это должно быть в ... там! A blast of fire sprayed the ground, then turned off. A blast of fire sprayed the ground, then turned off. Взрыв огня брызнул на землю, затем погас. "We have four minutes to the next one—we hit the long period! They ran, stumbling in the soft ashes, tripping over charred bones and rusted metal. |||||||спотикаючись об|||||іржавий| They ran, stumbling in the soft ashes, tripping over charred bones and rusted metal. Они бежали, спотыкаясь в мягком пепле, спотыкаясь об обугленные кости и ржавый металл.

Two men grabbed Jason under the arm and half-carried him across the ground. It hadn’t been planned that way, but it saved precious seconds. Так не планировалось, но это позволило сэкономить драгоценные секунды. They dropped him against the wall and he fumbled out the bombs he had made. ||||||||достал|||||| They dropped him against the wall and he fumbled out the bombs he had made. Они бросили его к стене, и он нащупал сделанные им бомбы. The charges from Krannon’s gun, taken when he was killed, had been hooked together with a firing circuit. The charges from Krannon's gun, taken when he was killed, had been hooked together with a firing circuit. Заряды из пистолета Краннона, снятые при его убийстве, были соединены между собой огневой цепью. All the moves had been rehearsed carefully and they went smoothly now. |||||відрепетирувані|||||| Все движения были тщательно отрепетированы, и теперь они шли гладко. Jason had picked the metal wall as being the best spot to break in. Jason had picked the metal wall as being the best spot to break in. Джейсон выбрал металлическую стену как лучшее место для взлома.

It offered the most resistance to the native life, so the chances were it wouldn’t be reinforced with sandbags or fill, the way other parts of the wall were. It offered the most resistance to the native life, so the chances were it wouldn't be reinforced with sandbags or fill, the way other parts of the wall were. Она оказывала наибольшее сопротивление туземной жизни, поэтому, скорее всего, она не будет укреплена мешками с песком или засыпана, как другие части стены. If he was wrong, they were all dead. Если он ошибался, они все были мертвы. The first men had slapped their wads of sticky congealed sap against the wall. ||||||куски|||застывший|сока||| ||||||lumps||||||| ||||||комки|||згуслого||||стіна The first men had slapped their wads of sticky congealed sap against the wall. Первые люди шлепнули по стене комьями липкого застывшего сока.

Jason pressed the charges into them and they stuck, a roughly rectangular pattern as high as a man. Джейсон|||||||||||прямокутний|||||| Jason pressed the charges into them and they stuck, a roughly rectangular pattern as high as a man. Джейсон вставил в них заряды, и они застряли в форме примерно прямоугольной формы высотой с человеческий рост. Джейсон втиснув заряди в них, і вони прилипли, отримавши грубо прямокутний малюнок заввишки з чоловіка. While he did this the detonating wire was run out to its length and the raiders pressed back against the base of the wall. |||||детонуючий|||||||||||||||||| While he did this the detonating wire was run out to its length and the raiders pressed back against the base of the wall. Пока он это делал, детонирующая проволока вытянулась на всю длину, и рейдеры прижались к основанию стены. Поки він це робив, детонуючий дріт був витягнутий до своєї довжини, а нападники притиснулися назад до основи стіни. Jason stumbled through the ashes to the detonator, fell on it and pressed the switch at the same time. |||||||детонатор||||||||||| Джейсон наткнулся на пепел к детонатору, упал на него и одновременно нажал выключатель. Джейсон спіткнувся через попіл до детонатора, впав на нього і натиснув кнопку в той же час. Behind him a thundering bang shook the wall and red flame burst out. Behind him a thundering bang shook the wall and red flame burst out. Позади него громоподобный удар сотряс стену, и вспыхнуло красное пламя.

Rhes was the first one there, pulling at the twisted and smoking metal with his gloved hands. |||||||||||||||в рукавичках| Рес был там первым, дергая искривленный и дымящийся металл руками в перчатках. Others grabbed on and bent the jagged pieces aside. ||||||зубчатые|| Другие схватили и отогнули зазубренные куски в сторону. The hole was filled with smoke and nothing was visible through it. Отверстие было заполнено дымом и сквозь него ничего не было видно. Jason dived into the opening, rolled on a heap of rubble and smacked into something solid. ||||||||||||врезался||| Джейсон нырнул в отверстие, покатился по груде щебня и врезался во что-то твердое. When he blinked the smoke from his eyes he looked around him. Когда он смахнул дым с глаз, он огляделся. He was inside the city. Он был внутри города.

The others poured through now, picking him up as they charged in so he wouldn’t be trampled underfoot. The others poured through now, picking him up as they charged in so he wouldn't be trampled underfoot. Остальные хлынули внутрь, подхватив его, когда они ворвались внутрь, чтобы его не растоптали.

Someone spotted the spaceship and they ran that way. Someone spotted the spaceship and they ran that way. A man ran around the corner of a building towards them. Из-за угла здания к ним выбежал мужчина.

His Pyrran reflexes sent him springing into the safety of a doorway the same moment he saw the invaders. His Pyrran reflexes sent him springing into the safety of a doorway the same moment he saw the invaders. Его пирранские рефлексы заставили его прыгнуть в безопасный дверной проем в тот же момент, когда он увидел захватчиков. But they were Pyrrans, too. The man slumped slowly back onto the street, three metal bolts sticking out of his body. ||упал||||||||||||| The man slumped slowly back onto the street, three metal bolts sticking out of his body. Мужчина медленно свалился обратно на улицу, из его тела торчали три металлических болта. They ran on without stopping, running between the low storehouses. |||||||||склады |||||||||склади The ship stood ahead. Корабль стоял впереди. Someone had reached it ahead of them, they could see the outer hatch slowly grinding shut. ||||||||||||||закрывающейся| Someone had reached it ahead of them, they could see the outer hatch slowly grinding shut. Кто-то добрался до него впереди них, они могли видеть, как внешний люк медленно закрывается.

A hail of bolts from the bows crashed into it with no effect. A hail of bolts from the bows crashed into it with no effect. Град болтов из луков обрушился на него, но не произвел никакого эффекта. "Keep going! "Продолжать идти!

Jason shouted. — крикнул Джейсон. "Get next to the hull before he reaches the guns. "Подойдите к корпусу, пока он не добрался до орудий. This time three men didn’t make it. На этот раз трое мужчин не выжили.

The rest of them were under the belly of the ship when every gun let go at once. The rest of them were under the belly of the ship when every gun let go at once. Остальные были под брюхом корабля, когда разом выстрелили все пушки. Most of them were aimed away from the ship, still the scream of shells and electric discharges was ear-shattering. |||||||||||||||||||оглушливий Most of them were aimed away from the ship, still the scream of shells and electric discharges was ear-shattering. Большинство из них было направлено в сторону от корабля, но визг снарядов и электрических разрядов оглушал. The three men still in the open dissolved under the fire. The three men still in the open dissolved under the fire. Трое мужчин, все еще находившихся под открытым небом, растворились в огне. Whoever was inside the ship had hit all the gun trips at once, both to knock out the attackers and summon aid. Whoever was inside the ship had hit all the gun trips at once, both to knock out the attackers and summon aid. Кто бы ни был внутри корабля, он одновременно нажал на все триггеры, чтобы вырубить нападавших и вызвать помощь. He would be on the screen now, calling for help. Сейчас он будет на экране, зовя на помощь. Their time was running out. Их время истекало. Jason reached up and tried to open the hatch, while the others watched. ||||||||люк|||| Джейсон потянулся и попытался открыть люк, пока остальные смотрели.

It was locked from the inside. Он был заперт изнутри. One of the men brushed him aside and pulled at the inset handle. One of the men brushed him aside and pulled at the inset handle. Один из мужчин оттолкнул его в сторону и потянул за вставную ручку. It broke off in his hand but the hatch remained closed. It broke off in his hand but the hatch remained closed. Он сломался у него в руке, но люк остался закрытым. The big guns had stopped now and they could hear again. Теперь большие орудия остановились, и они снова могли слышать.

"Did anyone get the gun from that dead man? «Кто-нибудь получил пистолет от этого мертвеца?

he asked. он спросил. "It would blow this thing open. «Это взорвет эту штуку. "No," Rhes said, "we didn’t stop.

Before the words were out of his mouth two men were running back towards the buildings, angling away from each other. ||||||||||||||||углубляясь|||| ||||||||||||||||розходячись в сторони|||| Before the words were out of his mouth two men were running back towards the buildings, angling away from each other. Прежде чем слова сорвались с его губ, двое мужчин побежали обратно к зданиям, отворачиваясь друг от друга.

The ship’s guns roared again, a string of explosions cut across one man. Снова взревели корабельные орудия, череда взрывов сразила одного человека. Before they could change direction and find the other man he had reached the buildings. He returned quickly, darting into the open to throw the gun to them. |||пориваючись||||||||| Он быстро вернулся, выскочив на открытое место, чтобы бросить им пистолет.

Before he could dive back to safety the shells caught him. Before he could dive back to safety the shells caught him. Прежде чем он успел нырнуть в безопасное место, снаряды попали в него. Jason grabbed up the gun as it skidded almost to his feet. |||||||скользнуло|||| |||||||ковзнула|||| Jason grabbed up the gun as it skidded almost to his feet. Джейсон схватил револьвер, когда он соскользнул почти к его ногам.

They heard the sound of wide-open truck turbines screaming towards them as he blasted the lock. ||||||||турбін вантажівок|||||||| They heard the sound of wide-open truck turbines screaming towards them as he blasted the lock. Они услышали звук широко открытых турбин грузовиков, визжащих им навстречу, когда он взорвал замок. The mechanism sighed and the hatch sagged open. The mechanism sighed and the hatch sagged open. Механизм вздохнул, и люк открылся. They were all through the air lock before the first truck appeared. Они все прошли через воздушный шлюз, прежде чем появился первый грузовик. Naxa stayed behind with the gun, to hold the lock until they could take the control room. Накса остался с ружьем, чтобы удерживать замок, пока они не захватят диспетчерскую. Everyone climbed faster than Jason, once he had pointed them the way, so the battle was over when he got there. Все лезли быстрее, чем Джейсон, как только он указал им путь, так что битва закончилась, когда он туда добрался.

The single city Pyrran looked like a pin-cushion. ||||||||подушка для голок The single city Pyrran looked like a pin-cushion. Единственный город Пирран был похож на подушечку для иголок. One of the techs had found the gun controls and was shooting wildly, the sheer quantity of his fire driving the trucks back. |||техніків||||||||||||кількість||||||| One of the techs had found the gun controls and was shooting wildly, the sheer quantity of his fire driving the trucks back. Один из техников нашел рычаги управления оружием и начал яростно стрелять, количество его огня отбрасывало грузовики назад. "Someone get on the radio and tell the talkers to call the attack off," Jason said. «Кто-нибудь вызовите радио и скажите говорящим отменить нападение», — сказал Джейсон.

He found the communications screen and snapped it on. Он нашел экран связи и включил его. Kerk’s wide-eyed face stared at him from the screen. Широко раскрытые глаза Керка смотрели на него с экрана. " You! " Ты!

Kerk said, breathing the word like a curse. Kerk said, breathing the word like a curse. "Yes, it’s me," Jason answered.

He talked without looking up, while his hands were busy at the control board. Он говорил, не поднимая глаз, пока его руки были заняты на пульте управления. "Listen to me, Kerk—and don’t doubt anything I say. «Слушай меня, Керк, и не сомневайся ни в чем, что я говорю. I may not know how to fly one of these ships, but I do know how to blow them up. Я могу не знать, как управлять одним из этих кораблей, но я знаю, как их взорвать. Do you hear that sound?" Ты слышишь этот звук?» He flipped over a switch and the faraway whine of a pump droned faintly. |||||||далекий|||||гудів монотонно| He flipped over a switch and the faraway whine of a pump droned faintly. Он щелкнул выключателем, и отдаленный гул насоса загудел. "That’s the main fuel pump. If I let it run—which I won’t right now—it could quickly fill the drive chamber with raw fuel. Если я позволю ему работать — чего я сейчас не сделаю — он может быстро заполнить камеру привода сырым топливом. Pour in so much that it would run out of the stern tubes. Pour in so much that it would run out of the stern tubes. Залить столько, что бы вытекло из дейдвудных труб. Then what do you think would happen to your one and only spacer if I pressed the firing button? Тогда что, по-твоему, произойдет с твоей единственной проставкой, если я нажму кнопку пуска? I’m not asking you what would happen to me, since you don’t care—but you need this ship the way you need life itself. I'm not asking you what would happen to me, since you don't care—but you need this ship the way you need life itself. Я не спрашиваю вас, что со мной будет, раз вам все равно, но вам нужен этот корабль, как вам нужна сама жизнь. There was only silence in the cabin now, the men who had won the ship turned to face him. Теперь в каюте была только тишина, люди, завоевавшие корабль, повернулись к нему лицом.

Kerk’s voice grated loudly through the room. Kerk's voice grated loudly through the room. Голос Керка громко разнесся по комнате. "What do you want, Jason—what are you trying to do? «Чего ты хочешь, Джейсон, что ты пытаешься сделать?

Why did you lead those animals in here ..." His voice cracked and broke as anger choked him and spilled over. Why did you lead those animals in here ..." His voice cracked and broke as anger choked him and spilled over. Зачем ты привел сюда этих животных…» Его голос сорвался и надломился, когда гнев захлестнул его и переполнил. "Watch your tongue, Kerk," Jason said with soft menace. ||||||||погрозливий тон — Следи за языком, Керк, — сказал Джейсон с мягкой угрозой.

"These men you are talking about are the only ones on Pyrrus who have a spaceship. «Эти люди, о которых вы говорите, единственные на Пирре, у кого есть космический корабль. If you want them to share it with you, you had better learn to talk nicely. Если вы хотите, чтобы они поделились этим с вами, вам лучше научиться красиво говорить. Now come over here at once—and bring Brucco and Meta." А теперь иди сюда немедленно и приведи Брукко и Мету. Jason looked at the older man’s florid and swollen face and felt a measure of sympathy. ||||||лицом||||||||| ||||||рум'яний|||||||||співчуття Jason looked at the older man's florid and swollen face and felt a measure of sympathy. Джейсон посмотрел на раскрасневшееся и опухшее лицо пожилого человека и почувствовал некоторую долю сочувствия. "Don’t look so unhappy, it’s not the end of the world. In fact, it might be the beginning of one. And another thing, leave this channel open when you go. И еще, оставьте этот канал открытым, когда пойдете. Have it hooked into every screen in the city so everyone can see what happens here. Подключите его к каждому экрану в городе, чтобы все могли видеть, что здесь происходит. Make sure it’s taped too, for replay. |||записано на плівку|||відтворення Убедитесь, что это тоже записано на пленку для повторного воспроизведения. Переконайтеся, що це також записано, для повтору. Kerk started to say something, but changed his mind before he did. Керк почав щось говорити, але передумав, перш ніж це зробити.

He left the screen, but the set stayed alive. Он ушел с экрана, но декорации остались живы. Він залишив екран, але знімок залишився живим. Carrying the scene in the control room to the entire city. Перенос сцены из диспетчерской на весь город.