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.The hurtling pace continued for two hours.Then the robot-controlled space stations flitted by to the rightand left of them and dropped behind.The correct code signal had prevented these latter from turning intofire-spitting fortresses which could have destroyed theDrusus.The ship hurried onward unhindered, toward its calculated point of transition.* * * *Punctually to the second, Capt.Marcel Rous had one of the transmitters turned on for reception.Somewhere out there just beyond the discharge rift between the Einstein universe and the Druuf timeplane theDrusus must have rematerialised and Rhodan would now be entering the sending station of amatter transmitter.Rous stood before the door of the grid cage and waited to receive the Chief.The indicator showedgreen but there was still no sign of Rhodan.Then the panel lamp began to flicker.First pulse responsefrom theDrusus , aligning the transfer fields.The ship s transport-transmitter was  on the air.Andthen with hardly any perceptible time transition the figure of a man appeared in the cage.It emergedfrom nothingness and materialized at once.Rhodan stepped from the grid platform and stretched out a hand to Capt.Rous."You gave me quite ascare, Captain.How come the message went through Marshal Freyt?"They walked through the corridors toward the Base Commander s comfortably appointed quarters butbefore they arrived there Rous proceeded to explain:"Immediately after receiving Ellert s distress call, I sent an emergency message to theOhio , our contactship beyond the Rift.I presume that they relayed it at once to Marshall Freyt, who then made contactwith you on Arkon.Anyway it s astounding how fast messages can be propagated through the galaxythese days."He opened the door for Rhodan, who went into the cabin.It was not until the two were seated at thetable that Rhodan got to the point of his visit."What s the situation with Ellert?"Rous reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper."That s the first message we ve receivedfrom Druufon on the micro-transmitter hookup." Rhodan read Ellert s message slowly and carefully.When he replaced the sheet on the table, his browwas furrowed."So they ve finally caught up with Onot and now Ellert is too weak to leave the body ofhis host and return to Earth.Actually there s nothing left for us to do other than to bring his own body toDruufon.Hm-m-m& that won t be any picnic.But fortunately there s still enough time.It will takeseveral days yet for the preliminary hearings and the trial against Onot to get started."Rous shook his head.He seemed a bit pale."Sir, in the meantime another message came in from Ellert.I m afraid there s very little time.Two hours ago, Onot went before the Supreme Tribunal."Rhodan stared at him."You waited until now to tell me?" When Rous said nothing, Rhodan leanedforward and placed a hand on his forearm."What s the import of the second message, Rous? Do youhave the full text with you?""I know it by heart, sir.Ellert reported that they had picked up Onot and brought him before the Court.He claimed he no longer had the strength to hold Onot to a specific line of testimony.He said that theDruuf was prepared to tell the judges everything the whole truth.Ellert is trying to prevent it.Hedoesn t know how long he can hold out.If he has to leave Onot s body he doesn t know where he cango.He needs more strength than he possesses to leave Druufon."Rhodan nodded."I can t quite imagine what would happen if he were to leave Onot without sufficientstrength.He might lose his temporal directions and slip back into the stream of time, which swallowedhim up once before.At least we know that it requires a certain energy output to hold on to the present.Strange that I never thought of that before." He met Rous gaze directly."But here we re sitting aroundphilosophizing when there s not another minute to lose.I ll get back to theDrusus but will remain in thevicinity.If there s an attack on Hades, you can count on me [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]