Читать книгу The Science Fiction Anthology онлайн

58 страница из 776

“Lonely?” asked Nodalictha coyly. “With you, Rhadampsicus?”

He impulsively twined his eye stalks about hers. A little later he was saying tenderly, “Then I’ll just finish my observations, darling, and we’ll go on—since you don’t mind waiting.”

“I’d like to see my pets again,” said Nodalictha, nestling comfortably against him.

Together, they scanned the second planet, but their thoughts could not penetrate its Rhinthak screen. They saw the space yacht flash up to it. Rhadampsicus inspected the minds of the bipeds inside it. Nodalictha, of course, modestly refrained from entering the minds of male creatures other than her husband.

“Peculiar,” commented Rhadampsicus. “Very peculiar. If I were a sociologist, I might find it less baffling. But they must have a very queer sort of social system. They actually intend to harm your pets, Nodalictha, because the male now knows how to supply them all with food and energy! Isn’t that strange? I wish the Rhinthak screen did not block off scanning.... But it will fade, presently.”