Arkady & Boris Strugatsky Noon 22nd Century (v1.0)

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he saw them. At first he thought it was an illusion, that it was simply spots
swimming before his tired eyes. The black starlit savanna began to stir.
Indistinct gray shadows rose up on it, unspeaking and ominous; the grass
rustled, something squeaked, and he could hear a solid tapping, jingling,
crackling. In an instant the quiet was filled with deep indistinct rustlings.
Light! bellowed Rudak. The enemy cometh!
A joyful howl rang out from the acacia. Dry leaves and twigs rained down. In
the same instant a blinding light flashed over the clearing.
Over the savanna marched the army of the Great CODD. Marched to surrender.
Evgeny had never seen such a parade of mechanical monsters in his life.
Obviously the servants of the Great CODD were seeing them for the first time
too. Homeric laughter shook the acacia. The designers, those experienced
warriors in the cause of mechanical perfection, were enraged. They toppled
from the branch in bunches, and dashed into the clearing.
No, look. You just look!
The seventeenth century! Watt s linkage!
Where s Robinson? Robinson, were you the one who figured that CODD was
smarter than you?
Let s hear it for Robinson! Yea, Robinson!
Guys, get a load of these wheels! They won t even make it all the way to us!
Guys! Guys! Look! A steam engine!
Author! Author!
Horrible scarecrows moved into the clearing. Lopsided steam-tricycles.
Dishlike rattling contrivances that sparked and gave off a burning smell. The
familiar tortoises, furiously kicking their famous single hind legs.
Spider-shaped mechanisms on extremely long wire legs on which, now and then,
they lowered themselves to the ground. In back, mournfully wobbling, came the
poles on wheels with the wilted mirrors on the tips. All these dragged
themselves onward, limping, pushing, knocking, breaking down on the way, and
emitting steam and sparks. Evgeny aimed the movie camera like a zombie.
I m not a servant any longer! yelled someone in the acacia.
Me neither!
Look at those hind legs!
The front ranks of mechanical monsters reached the clearing and stopped. The
ones in back piled into them and they all collapsed into a heap, tangling up,
their outlandish articulations spread wide. Above, the poles on wheels toppled
over with a dull thud, breaking in two. One wheel, its springs ringing, rolled
up to the platform, circled around, and fell down at Evgeny s feet. Then
Evgeny looked at Rudak. Rudak was standing on the platform, his hands resting
against his sides. His beard was waving.
There we are, guys, he said. I give all this to you for pillage and
looting. Now we ll find out how and why they tick probably.
The conquerers threw themselves upon the defeated army.
You can t really mean the Great CODD built all this to study the behavior of
Buridan s sheep, can you? Evgeny asked in horror.
And why not? said Rudak. It could very well be. It probably is. He winked
with unusual slyness. Anyhow, it s certainly clear that something is out of
kilter here.
Two strapping designers dragged a small metal beetle by its rear leg. Just
opposite the platform the leg broke off, and the designers fell into the
grass.
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Monsters, muttered Rudak.
I already told you it wasn t fastened on well, said Evgeny.
A sharp elderly voice roared through the merry noise: Just what is going on
here?
Silence set in instantly. Oh, boy, Rudak said in a whisper, and climbed down
from the platform.
It seemed to Evgeny that Rudak had suddenly shriveled.
An old gray-haired black in a white lab coat approached the platform, limping.
Evgeny recognized him it was Professor Lomba. Where is my Paul? he asked in
an ominously affectionate voice. Children, who can tell me where my deputy
is?
Rudak remained silent. Lomba walked straight toward him. Rudak stepped
backward, knocked his back against the platform, and stopped.
So, Paul my dear boy, just what s going on here? Lomba asked, looming close.
Rudak answered sheepishly, We seized control from CODD and rounded up all the
monsters into one pile.
The monsters, eh? Lomba said tersely. An important problem! Where does the
seventh leg come from? An important problem, my children! A very important
problem!
Suddenly he grabbed Rudak by the beard and dragged him through the crowd,
which opened in his path, to the middle of the clearing. Look at him,
children! he snouted ceremoniously. We are astounded! We rack our brains! We
fall into despair! We imagine that CODD has outsmarted us! With each we he
pulled Rudak s beard, as if ringing a bell. Rudak s head swung submissively.
What happened, teacher? a girl asked timidly. From her face it was obvious
that she felt very sorry for Rudak.
What happened, my dear little girl? Lomba at last let go of Rudak. Old
Lomba goes to the center. He drags the best specialists away from their work.
And what does he find out? Oh, the shame! What does he find out, you redheaded
villain? He again grabbed Rudak by the beard, and Evgeny hurriedly aimed his
camera. They re laughing at old Lomba! Old Lomba has become the laughingstock
of every last cyberneticist! They re already telling jokes about old Lomba!
He let go of the beard and stuck a bony fist in Rudak s broad chest. I ll get
you! How many legs does an ordinary Australian merino sheep have? Or perhaps
you ve forgotten?
Evgeny suddenly noticed that upon these words a few young men started moving
back with the clear intention of losing themselves in the crowd.
Don t let the programmers get away, Lomba ordered without turning his head.
There was a noise in the crowd, and the young men were pushed into the center
of the circle.
What do these intellectual pirates do? inquired Lomba, turning sharply
towards them. They indicate in the program that a sheep has seven legs.
The crowd began to grow noisy.
They deprive the sheep of a cerebellum.
Laughter approving, as it seemed to Evgeny spread through the crowd.
Poor, nice, well-meaning CODD! Lomba raised his arms to the heavens. It
piles absurdity upon absurdity! Could it suppose that its red-bearded hooligan
of a master would give it a problem about a five-sided triangle?
Rudak muttered miserably, I won t do it again. Honest I won t.
The crowd, laughing, thrashed the programmers on their resonant backs.
Evgeny spent the night at Rudak s. Rudak bedded him down in the study, then
went back to the acacias, brushing his beard carefully. An enormous orange
moon, gridded with the gray squares of D-spaceports, looked into the open
window. Evgeny looked at it and laughed happily, going over the events of the
day in his mind. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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