Сидней Баундс - The Robot Brains [with w_cat]

370 370 Генеральный секретарь призвал к вниманию - Джентльмены, внимание, слово предоставляется делегату из Британии. The Old Man and Doctor Fox were standing in the cellar.

371 371 Громадный зал взорвался шумом. Делегаты с криками вскочили с мест. Каждый обвинял другого. Азиатская федерация обвиняла Британию. Соединенные штаты обвиняли Россию. Казалось, каждую минуту может начаться драка. "Are you sure it was Waldo and not another of the Brains?" asked the head of Military Intelligence.

372 372 Наконец британский делегат смог говорить. "Yes. It was easy to see. I had seen him at the Fair, and recognized him by the scar on his nose."

373 373 - Не время нам ссорится - сказал он - Нам угрожает вторжение из пространства - "And after you seized Waldo, Captain Christian brought him here, and you took the crystal to a different hiding-place?"

374 374 - вторжение из космоса - продолжал Британский делегат - Наша цивилизация в опасности. Мы должны объединится- "That's right," said the doctor, "And when I opened the box, it was empty."

375 375 Все был бесполезно. Все делегаты опять кричали, и Генеральный секретарь закрыл заседание. "Scientists are studying your box," said the Old Man, "But I don't think they will learn anything from it."

376 376 Один бы обезглавлен в Новом Южном Уэльсе, 4 в Квебеке. Убийства продолжались в Африке, Пакистане и Германии. Ученые, которые делали оригинальные разработки, уничтожались во всем мире. "What do you think: is Christian still alive?" asked Fox. "Yes, I believe so," said the Old Man. "Up to now they have always left the decapitated bodies of their victims. So I think they have not killed Captain Christian. Evidently they have taken him with them - alive. But why? And where?"

Fox felt better.

377 377 И только один человек имел связь с врагом. "Then there is a chance," he said: "If Christian is alive, maybe he will escape and bring us the information that we need."

"I hope so," said the Old Man.

378 378 Кристиан положил трубку, подошел к Умнику, остановился перед ним и поднял декапитатор. Christian was in a very large hall with a high ceiling and no windows. He had an impression that he was deep underground.

379 379 - Не буду ждать - сказал капитан - Говори или я стреляю. In the walls of the hall there were some doors through which he could see long corridors. The central part of the hall was occupied by a big construction with ladders and balconies. Two Brains stood near a large switchboard with red and green lights. The sides of the construction were covered with black crystals.

380 380 - Не стреляй! Я все скажу. Мы пришли из - The crystals were placed in pairs. From time to time a Brain appeared from nowhere and put his black crystal into the construction, and then a red light on the switchboard turned into green. Sometimes another Brain took the crystal from the construction and fastened it to his belt. Then he touched the crystal and disappeared.

381 381 Но они были уже не одни. Около 10 Умников стояли вокруг Кристиана, серые, карликовые фигуры, каждый с декапитатором. Christian understood that this construction was a kind of transmitter, with the help of which the Brains got to the earth and disappeared from it.

382 382 - Это конец, Кристиан... - он скомандовал - Взять его, я хочу получить его живым! He wanted to jump to his feet and break the machine... but two Brains armed with decapitators were guarding him. The crystal, with the help of which he had got into that hall, was taken from his belt and put into the transmitter.

He began to wonder where he was.

383 383 В следующий момент Кристиан был схвачен множеством рук, что-то тяжелое ударило его по голове, и он упал на пол. Was he still on the earth but underground? Or was it another planet? Or maybe, he was on board a spaceship?

He decided that he must wait and learn all he could.

384 384 - Ты вмешался и расстроил наши планы - сказал Вальдо - За это ты умрешь. Но это будет нелегкая смерть - у меня есть для тебя кое-что особенное. Теперь моя очередь спрашивать. A woman came from one of the corridors. It was a very strange woman. She had long blond hair and was very beautiful. But she was at least nine feet tall.

385 385 Он взял ремень с черным кристаллом у одного из умников и повязал на пояс Кристиана. She came up to Christian and said something very quickly, but Christian did not understand her. A Brain answered her, and she laughed. Then she bent and easily lifted Christian with one hand. She looked at him a few seconds, then lost interest and dropped him to the floor, like a child drops a doll.

She turned away and left the hall.

Christian stood up.

"We meet again, Captain Christian..."

386 386 - Очень скоро ты получишь ответы на все свои вопросы... It was Waldo's voice. And, indeed, the Brain was standing near Christian.

387 387 Вальдо прикоснулся к кристаллу на поясе Кристиана и громко рассмеялся. "Do you begin to understand now?" asked Waldo. "No? Well, it doesn't matter. You will never leave this place. You will die, but not easily..."

388 388 Подвал исчез. Кристиан был в абсолютной темноте. Ему казалось, что он висит в пустом пространстве между звезд - но тут не было звезд. He called two other Brains who came up and stood on both sides of Christian, holding their decapitators ready.

389 389 Наконец Кристиан увидел яркий свет и понял, что он куда-то прибыл. "Follow me," said Waldo and went along one of the corridors.

Christian walked after him.

390 390 Старик и доктор Фокс стояли в подвале. They walked along the corridor, sometimes crossing other corridors. On the side of the corridor there were cells in which Christian saw Brains and giant women. Finally they stopped near an empty cell.

391 391 - Вы уверены, что это был Вальдо, а не другой Умник? - спросил глава Военной Разведки. "You can live here for some time," said Waldo. "Food will be brought to you. You are free to go anywhere, except back to the transmitter hall. If you try to get there, you will be immediately killed. I shall return later."

392 392 - Да, это совершенно точно. Я видел его на Ярмарке, и опознал его по шраму на носу. Christian was left alone in the cell. The cell was about ten feet in diameter. There was a chair and a low table. Christian sat down. The chair was very comfortable.

393 393 - И после захвата Вальдо, Капитан Кристиан доставил его сюда, а вы отвезли кристалл, в другое место? In a few minutes a giant woman brought a tray with food and water. The food was not very tasty, but Christian was hungry and ate it all.

394 394 - Да это так, - сказал доктор, - но когда я открыл коробку, там ничего не было. He tried to speak to the giant woman, but she did not answer him.

395 395 - Специалисты изучили коробку - сказал Старик - Но я не думаю, что они что-нибудь прояснят. Some other giant women come to look at him. They pointed at him and laughed, but the look in their eyes told Christian that they had very little intelligence.

396 396 - Как вы думаете, Кристиан еще жив? - спросил Фокс. - Да, я надеюсь, - сказал Старик - До сих пор они всегда оставляли тела. Поэтому я думаю, они не убили Капитана Кристиана. Очевидно, они взяли его с собой - живым, Но почему? И куда? In the days that followed Christian walked along the corridor, where he sometimes met Brains and giant women. He noticed that they spoke a language, which was very much like English, but still it was very difficult for him to understand them. Sometimes he tried to ask them where he was, but they never answered him.

397 397 - Тогда есть шанс - сказал он - Если Кристиан жив, возможно, он спасется и принесет нам информацию, в которой мы так нуждаемся. One day he was standing in the corridor near his cell waiting for the giant woman who always brought him food. Suddenly he saw another woman who was running very quickly towards him. Some other women were running after her and beating her with metal whips.

398 398 Кристиан был в очень большом зале с высоким потолком, но без окон. У него возникло впечатление, что он глубоко под землей. The woman jumped into Christian's cell and stopped at the far wall. At that moment Waldo appeared in the corridor.

399 399 В стенах было несколько дверей через которые были видны длинные коридоры. Центр зала занимала большая конструкция с лестницами и балконами. Два Умника стояли у пульта управления, на котором горели красные и зеленые лампочки. Сбоку конструкцию заполняли черные кристаллы. "You are a fool to interfere," he said to Christian. "Let them do what they like." He looked around the cell. "Do they give you enough food? Are you all right?" he asked.