[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
."It is male and female, light and darkness,everything and its opposite, and neither is complete without the other.Nowthey are together again and this universe will begin to heal.I think it istime to get through that gate while it is still there.""But," Sarai protested, "we'll be going back to Chamuka.Can we return withonly two of the Three Treasures?"Tametomo turned to her."I believe that another Jewel will turn up beforelong.That's how these gods work.""The neon circle is still there," Soong reported."It has begun to flash offand on."Haakon made a scan of the area."We'd better get through and see what happens.Just a minute, I'm getting another reading.Something just appeared.""It is two pressure suits," Soong reported.Haakon's face was grim."It must be the first two to come through the gate.God knows how long the poor bastards have been floating out here.We might aswell pick their bodies up and take them back.If we get back ourselves, thatis."He signaled Tametomo's ship, close behind them, that he was making the pickup.A robot probe went out to catch the two floating forms and bring them in.Page 111 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlHaakon went to the airlock to see what shape the corpses would be in.It wasnot two corpses that came in through the lock, however, it was two men, aliveand squawking.One undogged his helmet and yanked it off.A wild ruff of hairand beard opened around his face.271John Mdddox Roberts"What the hell took so long about getting us a pickup?" the man shouted."We've been floating around out here calling for help for at least six hours!"He composed himself and looked about at his surroundings.The other did thesame."Christ, Ike," said the other, a bald man with a paisley pattern tattooed onhis scalp, "what a whorehouse! This has got to be Eurynome." He looked atHaakon."You must be Captain Haakon.Thanks for the pickup, but we didn't knowyou were in the Cingulum.""Let me get this straight," Haakon said."You two were the first mission toinvestigate the hole, and you came through six hours ago?""More or less," said the bearded man."What the hell do you mean, 'firstmission'? We're the only one as far as I know."Haakon shook his head in surrender."This is going to take a lot moreexplaining than we have time for.Just make yourselves at home.Get a drinkfrom the 'bots or something.If our luck holds, we should be back in Meridianin a few minutes."He dashed back to the bridge."This just keeps getting weirder," he announcedto everybody."What has me worried is, what if we get back to Meridian andfifty years have gone by, or a hundred?""Then maybe Timur Khan will be dead," Jemal said."Hm, hadn't thought of that." Haakon admitted."Well, I won't worry then.Setcourse for the center of that circle, dead slow." He looked at Mirabelle, whowore an abstracted expression."Why are you looking so moony-eyed?" hedemanded.272THE SWORD, THE JEWEL, AND THE MIRROR"Oh, I've just been playing with Rama's babies.They're so beautiful."He gave her a horrified look."Now don't you go getting ideas! Our situationis crazy enough already.""What is crazy about it?" Rama asked, barging onto the bridge with an infantin each arm."She was complimenting the beauty of my offspring, the firstsensible thing she has ever said."They were getting close to the ring now.Haakon looked closely at one of thebabies and poked it in kitchy-koo fashion with a blunt finger.It squalled andswatted feebly at his finger, the soft but unsheathed claws scraping lightlyover the skin."Got your mother's temper, I see.""We are going through," Soong announced.Once more the shimmering veil slid through the bridge, then they were in theclear and looking into the Meridian atrium.The ledges were packed withpeople, but there were no transports of joy.Haakon hit the loud hailer andhis voice went blasting through the atrium."Hey! Why aren't you cheering?We've been out doing heroic stuff! We're back, we've picked up the otherparties except for two that got killed, and we've fixed the problem with thehole.What kind of welcome is this?"Tredegar's image appeared in holograph."What do you mean, Haakon? The nose ofyour ship came through the hole almost before your tail disappeared.Youdidn't even have time to turn around.How did you do it?"Haakon looked at him solemnly
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]