Читать книгу The Science Fiction Anthology онлайн

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“Come on now, move.”

“Give me a minute.”

“A minute? Listen, I can’t stand in front of this bleeding set all night. Make your—”

Static crackled sharply. Drake saw four wild pigs come trotting out of the jungle, moving slowly, like a reconnaissance squad probing for weak spots in an enemy position. They stopped; the static stopped. Byrnes, standing guard with his rifle, took a snap shot at them. The pigs turned, and static crackled as they moved back into the jungle. There was more static as the bird of paradise swept down for a look, then climbed out of range. After that, the static stopped.

Drake put down his binoculars and went back inside the shed. “That must be it,” he said. “The static is related to the Quedak. I think it comes when he’s operating the animals.”

“You mean he has come sort of radio control over them?” Sorensen asked.

“Seems like it,” Drake said. “Either radio control or something propagated along a radio wavelength.”

“If that’s the case,” Sorensen said, “he’s like a little radio station, isn’t he?”