[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.There was a further delay while Froud attached to himself camera cases, standholders, light meters, extra lens carriers, etc.At last:Page 69 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html'Behold! The human Christmas Tree,' he said.Dale saw to the adjustments of the masks and tubes which fed oxygen throughthe nose, leaving the mouth free.When he was assured that they were allworking properly, he crossed to the entrance port and for the first time inthe seventy four days since they had left Earth, swung it open.One by one hepassed his crew through the airlock.Joan, the last to emerge, save for Dale himself, crossed the coarse, reddishsand to Froud's side.He was taking a series of snapshots of the uninspiringview.'Martian idea of a landscape pretty inferior,' he said, conversationally.'Imust say this place is something of a flop.We've got deserts every bit asgood at home, and no need to dress up for them.Now I suppose I had bettertake a shot or two of the old G.M., to be entitled: "Earth's Adventurers atTheir Goal," or "The Triumph of " ''Shush!' said Joan.'What do you mean: "shush"?'She nudged him, and nodded towards the entrance port.Dale had just left theairlock; in one hand he carried a trowel, and in the other, a rod with a flagattached to it.The rest watched while he dug a small hole, planted his pole,and stamped the red sand back about its base.He stood back.The Union Jackunfolded gently in the light Martian breeze.Dale saluted.'In the name of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second of England, I proclaimthis land a part of the British Commonwealth of Nations.In her name, and inthe name of all the peoples of the Commonwealth, I honour the brave men whogave their lives that this thing might be done.To their memory let it bededicated, to their glory let it thrive.They gave us this land, not inbloodshed, but with their life's blood.May we prove worthy of their trust.'In the silence which followed an air of constraint fell over the party.Thedoctor looked a little quizzically at Dale and then let his gaze wander to thejournalist.But Froud did not catch his eye.True to his training, he wasapparently interested only in providing a record of the occasion, and all hisattention was engaged by the manipulation of a small movie camera.Dale finished his ceremony.'What now?' Dugan asked, breaking the silence self consciously.'That seems to be the only way worth looking,' Froud said.He pointed towardsthe bushes.The doctor.agreed:'I must have some specimens of those; the sooner the better.''All right.' Dale produced a small compass.'Heaven knows where the magneticcentre of this place is, but it's got one somewhere, luckily.If we assumethat it is in the north it will give us something to go by.That means thatthe bushes are due west.Don't forget what I said about keeping together.'The thicker vegetation, when they reached it, proved to be much the same asthe stunted bushes in all except size.Before long, it became clear that theparty, with the exception of the doctor, was unspokenly endorsing Froud'sopinion of the red planet.The twisted stems of the bushes were hollow and sobrittle as to prove no obstacle.Their advance was accompanied by a sharpPage 70 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlcrackling of broken branches mingled with the papery rustling of the subsidingfoliage, but the view of brown thickets continuously before them was asmonotonous as the desert behind them.After half an hour's progress, the only member of the band who did not feelthat attainment can be the most potent source of dissatisfaction was thedoctor.With what seemed to be a singularly slight supply of fuel he managed to keep his botanical fervour at high pressure, continually causing delays byhis determination to secure a specimen which, to the inexpert eye, showed nodifference from the many shoots, leaves, branches and roots he had already putin his boxes.The vegetation belts bordering the Martian canals vary in width according tothe nature of the soil.In satisfactorily porous regions they may extend asfar as twenty miles to either side, but in others they dwindle into desert atno more than a mile or two from the bank.It was owing to the chance which hadlanded the Gloria Mundi beside one of the narrower fertile strips that hercrew was able to notice a change in the condition of the plants when they hadcovered a little more than a mile.The bushes, though at first unchanged intype, were healthier and better nourished.It became a little less easy forthem to force their way through.Moister stems bent more and broke lesseasily.Moreover, to the doctor's delight, a few new variations were to beseen farther on.He pounced with enthusiasm upon a number of bulbous, olivebrown plants not unlike spineless cacti, and held forth with an excitementwhich left the rest cold [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

  • zanotowane.pl
  • doc.pisz.pl
  • pdf.pisz.pl
  • fisis2.htw.pl
  • Copyright © 2016 (...) chciaÅ‚bym posiadać wszystkie oczy na ziemi, żeby patrzeć na Ciebie.
    Design: Solitaire