Страница 3 из 34
"I'm saying," said Lucky, "that it's time you told us why you really brought us out here. Not just for the sights, I'm sure, or you wouldn't carry a blaster on an empty, desolate planet."
It took a while for Mindes to answer. When he did, he said, "You're David Starr, aren't you?"
"That's right," said Lucky patiently.
"You're a member of the Council of Science. You're the man they call Lucky Starr."
Members of the Council of Science shu
"Then I'm not wrong. You're one of their ace investigators, and you're here to investigate Project Light."
Lucky's lips thi
"I know it's true, and I brought you here"-Mindes was panting-"to tell you the truth before the others could fill you-full of-lies."
"About what?"
"About the failures that have been haunting-I hate that word-the failures in Project Light."
"But you might have told me what you wanted to back at the Dome. Why bring me here?"
"For two reasons," said the engineer. His breathing continued rapid and difficult. "In the first place, they all think it's my fault. They think I can't pull the project through, that I'm wasting tax money. I wanted to get you away from them. Understand? I wanted to keep you from listening to them first."
"Why should they think it's your fault?"
"They think I'm too young."
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-two."
Lucky Starr, who wasn't very much older, said, "And your second reason?"
"I wanted you to get the feeling of Mercury. I wanted you to absorb the-the-- " He fell silent.
Lucky's suited figure stood straight and tall on Mercury's forbidding surface, and the metal of one shoulder caught and reflected the milky light of the corona, "the white ghost of the Sun."
He said, "Very well, Mindes, suppose I accept your statement that you are not responsible for failures in the project. Who is?"
The engineer's voice was a vague mutter at first. It coalesced gradually into words. "I don't know- At least… "
"I don't understand you," said Lucky.
"Look," said Mindes desperately, "I've investigated. I spent waking and sleeping periods trying to pinpoint the blame. I watched everybody's movements. I noted times when accidents took place, when there were breaks in the cables or when conversion plates were smashed. And one thing I'm sure of-- "
"Which is?"
"That nobody at the Dome can be directly responsible. Nobody. There are only about fifty people in the Dome, fifty-two to be exact, and the last six times something has gone wrong I've been able to account for each one. Nobody was anywhere near the scenes of the accidents." His voice had gone high-pitched.
Lucky said, "Then how do you account for the accidents? Mercury-quakes? Action of the Sun?"
"Ghosts!" cried the engineer wildly, flinging his arms about. "There's a white ghost and a red ghost. You've seen those. But there are two-legged ghosts too. I've seen them, but will anyone believe me?" He was almost incoherent. "I tell you… I tell you… "
Bigman said, "Ghosts! Are you nuts?"
At once Mindes screamed, "You don't believe me either. But I'll prove it. I'll blast the ghost. I'll blast the fools who won't believe me. I'll blast everyone. Everyone!"
With a harsh screech of laughter he had drawn his blaster, and with frenzied speed, before Bigman could move to stop him, he had aimed it at Lucky at point-blank range and squeezed its trigger. Its invisible field of disruption lashed out…