hh.thessrat.sings.the.blues-第33章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　Stainless　Steel　Rats。　We　have　played　our　last　gig；　sung　our　last　song。　And　we　did　pretty　well　for　a　bunch　of　amateurs。　One　juvenile　criminal。　An　admiral；　an　unarmed　bat　expert；　and　a…what　are　you　really；　Madonette？　And　don't　embarrass　both　of　us　by　talking　about　the　imaginary　office　job　again。　That's　not　your　style。　Everyone　else　has　e　clean…so　how　about　you？〃
　She　drew　herself　up；　looked　grim…then　smiled。　〃You　deserve　the　truth；　Jim。　My　office　really　is　out　there。　But　it　is　in　the　Galaksia　Universitato　where　I　teach　in　the　department　of　archeology。　The　university　has　so　much　money　involved　in　this　operation　that　they　insisted　on　a　representative。〃
　〃I'm　glad　it　was　you；　Professor。　Been　fun　working　with　you。〃　I　blew　her　a　kiss；　which　she　snatched　out　of　the　air　and　blew　back。
　〃I　didn't　know　about　this！〃　Admiral　Steengo　said；　more　than　miffed。　〃I　am　beginning　to　find　out　that　there　are　levels　of　secrecy　and　duplicity　in　this　so…called　artifact　retrieval　operation　that　no　one　seems　to　know　anything　about。　The　more　I　discover　about　it…the　more　it　stinks。　And　more　and　more　it　appears　to　bear　the　stamp　of　Stinky　Benbow。〃
　〃That　nickname　is　classified　and　will　be　stricken　from　the　records；〃　a　loathsomely　familiar　voice　grated　from　the　direction　of　the　suddenly　opened　door。　〃Fun　and　games　are　over。　Sit　down　diGriz。　I　am　in　charge　now。〃
　〃Well　as　I　live　and　breathe！〃　I　turned；　filled　with　great　pleasure；　to　face　the　ever…scowling　countenance　of　Admiral　Benbow。　〃This　is　almost　too　good　to　be　true。　The　old　poisoner　himself…in　person。〃
　〃You　will　be　silent。　That　is　an　order。〃
　Steengo　was　shocked。　〃Benbow；　you　bastard…have　you　been　going　over　my　head　with　this　project？　Are　there　other　things　about　it　that　even　I　don't　know？〃
　〃Plenty。　But　your　need　to　know　is　plenty　far　down　the　knowing　chain　of　mand。　So；　like　this　crook…shut　up。〃
　〃No　more　orders；　Benbow；〃　I　broke　in。　Reluctantly　since　there　is　nothing　I　enjoy　more　than　a　brace　of　admirals　slanging　each　other　off。　But　this　was　a　time　for　work；　not　fun。　〃Now　tell　the　truth；　just　for　a　change。　It　was　your　idea　to　give　me　the　fake　thirty…day　poison；　wasn't　it？〃
　〃Of　course。　I　know　how　to　deal　with　criminals。　No　trust；　just　fear。　And　plete　control。〃　The　lizard　lips　bent　into　a　frigid　smile。　〃I　will　show　you　how　it　works。〃
　He　snapped　his　fingers　and　an　aide　hurried　in　with　a　familiar　package。　He　held　it　up　and　the　serpentine　smile　broadened。　〃You　didn't　really　think　that　I　would　let　you　get　away　with　this；　did　you？〃
　It　was　the　package　with　the　three　million　credits　that　I　had　mailed　to　Professor　Van　Diver　for　safekeeping。　My　fee　for　putting　my　life　in　danger；　money　well　earned。　Now　in　the　hands　of　the　enemy。　Not　only　wasn't　I　bothered　by　seeing　it…I　was　overjoyed。
　〃How　kind　of　you；　dear　Admiral；〃　I　chortled。　〃The　circle　is　plete；　the　ring　closed。　The　play　ended。　The　alien　artifact　retrieved。　The　last　song　sung。　Thank　you；　thank　you。〃
　〃Don't　sound　so　cheery；　diGriz…because　you　are　in　the　deep　cagal。　Although　you　will　not　be　executed　for　robbing　the　Mint　you　will　get　a　well…deserved　prison　sentence　for　that　crime。　This　fee；　which　you　extorted　from　the　university；　will　be　returned　to　them。　Along　with　that　artifact　。　。　。〃
　〃Oh…so　we　have　remembered　it　at　last。　Don't　you　want　to　know　what　it　is；　what　it　does？〃
　〃No。　Not　my　problem。　Let　the　university　worry　about　that。　I　was　against　this　entire　operation　from　the　first。　Now　it　is　over　and　life　will　go　on　the　way　it　was。〃
　〃Including　life　on　this　despicable　planet？〃
　〃Of　course。　We　are　not　going　to　let　the　do…gooders　interfere　with　the　sound　administration　of　the　law。〃
　〃Admiral…I　do　admire　you；〃　I　said；　standing　and　turning　to　the　intent　audience。　〃Hear　that；　Iron　John？　You　can　go　back　to　your　old　job　at　the　bottom　of　the　pond　as　soon　as　your　bones　heal。　Svinjar；　more　killing　and　general　swinery　on　your　part。　There　will　be　the　return　of　the　rule　of　law　and　justice…on　Admiral　Benbow's　terms。〃
　〃Arrest　this　man；〃　Benbow　ordered；　and　two　armed　guards　entered　and　marched　towards　me。
　〃I'll　go　quietly；〃　I　said。　Turned　and　touched　the　alien　artifact　as　I　had　been　instructed　to。　〃But　I'll　go　alone。〃
　It　was　so　quiet　you　could　heard　a　pin　drop。　But；　of　course；　a　pin　could　not　drop。
　Nothing　could　move；　was　moving。　Would　move　for　quite　a　while。
　Except　me；　of　course。　Strolling　over；　cheerfully　whistling　〃Nothing's　Too　Bad　for　the　Enemy；〃　relieving　the　Admiral　of　my　hard…earned　fee。　Smiling　benignly　into　his　glaring；　frozen　face。　Due　to　stay　that　way　for　quite　awhile。　I　turned　and　waved　at　my　statue…like　audience。
　〃The　best　part　was　working　with　The　Stainless　Steel　Rats。　Thanks　guys。　Thanks　as　well　to　you；　Captain　Tremearne。　In　fact…not　only　thank　you…but　could　you　give　me　a　little　help？〃
　I　walked　over　and　touched　his　arm　as　I　said　this；　enclosing　him　in　the　stasis…resistant　field　that　enveloped　me。
　〃Help　you　do　what？〃　He　looked　around　at　the　motionless　scene；　turned　back　to　me。　〃What's　going　on　here？〃
　〃What　you　see　is　what　you　get。　No　one　is　hurt；　but　no　one　is　going　to　move　for　some　time。　Temporal　stasis。　When　they　e　out　of　it　they　will　never　know　that　they　have　been　in　it。〃
　〃This　is　what　happened　to　Floyd？〃
　〃Exactly。〃
　〃Exactly　what？〃
　〃Time　travelers。　The　alien　artifact　is　not　alien　at　all…but　a　human　construct　from　the　far　future；　sent　back　and　lost　in　time。　I　promised　the　time　travelers　not　to　tell　anybody。　I'll　make　this　single　exception　since　I　need　your　help。〃
　〃Doing　what？〃
　〃Getting　both　of　us　out　of　here　so　we　can　start　the　job　of　cleaning　up　this　putrid　planet。　Here　is　what　we　have　to　do。　Admiral　Benbow　has　just　arrived；　as　you　saw；　which　means　there　is　an　interstellar　spacer　up　there　now　in　orbit　about　this　planet。　You　and　I　will　grab　some　transportation　and　get　up　to　it。　Once　there　you　will　use　your　rank；　guile　and　forceful　manner　to　see　that　we　get　aboard　and　far　away　from　Liokukae。　Then；　when　we　get　back　to　civilization；　we　will　generate　plenty　of　publicity　about　the　evils　men　do　here　on　this　planet。　It　will　be　a　scandal　and　heads　will　roll。〃
　〃Mine　will　be　the　first。　Along　with　a　court…martial；　possible　flaying　and　certainly　life　imprisonment。〃
　〃It　shouldn't　be　that　bad。　If　we　get　the　forces　of　light　on　our　side；　why　then　the　forces　of　darkness　won't　be　able　to　lay　a　finger　on　you。〃
　〃It　will　take　time　。　。　。〃
　〃Captain…that's　the　one　thing　we　got　plenty　of！　A　good　six　months　of　it。　That's　how　long　this　stasis　will　last。　They　won't　know　it；　will　not　even　realize　a　single　second　has　passed。　But；　oh；　will　there　be　consternation　among　them　when　they　discover　how　things　have　changed　while　they　have　been　dozing！　When　I　leave　here　the　stasis　will　seal　itself；　impenetrable　and　impermeable。　By　the　time　it　lifts　the　reform　campaign　will　have　succeeded　and　this　prison　planet　will　be　nothing　but　a　bad　memory。〃
　〃And　I　will　be　cashiered；　out　of　a　job；　will　have　lost　my　pension…the　works。〃
　〃And　many　a　human　being　will　be　alive　and　happy　who　would　have　been　miserable　or　dead。　Besides；　the　military　is　no　place　for　a　groom　man。　And　with　a　million　credits　in　the　bank　you　can　buy　lawyers；　live　the　good　life；　forget　your　past。〃
　〃What　million？〃
　〃The　bribe　that　I　am　going　to　pay　into　a　numbered　account　for　you　to　make　all　of　this　worth　your　while。〃
　He　shook　his　fist。　〃You　are　a　crook；　diGriz！　Do　you　think　that　I　would　stoop　to　your　criminal；　crooked　level？〃
　〃No。　But　you　might　be　the　administrator　of　the　Save　Liokukae　Fund　which　has　been　set　up　by　an　anonymous　benefactor。〃
　He　scowled；　opened　his　mouth　to　protest。　Stopped。　Burst　out　laughing。
　〃Jim…you　are　something　else　again！　What　the　hell…I'll　do　it。　But　on　my　terms；　understand？〃
　〃Understood。　Just　tell　me　where　to　mail　the　check。〃
　〃All　right。　Now　let's　get　you　a　uniform　while　I　forge　some　shipping　orders。　I　have　the　feeling　that　I　am　going　to　enjoy　being　a　civilian。〃
　〃You　will；　you　will。　Shall　we　go？〃
　We　went。　Marching　in　step　in　a　most　military　manner。　Marching　into　the　future；　into　a　better；　brighter　future。
　The　blues　had　been　sung。　A　page　turned；　a　chapter　ended。　Tremearne　would　do　a　good　job　of　sorting　out　this　repellent　world。　I　would　do　equally　well　as　I　slipped　away　between　the　interstices　of　society。
　In　six　months　I　would　be　far　from　here；　my　trail　cold；　my　bank　account　filled；　my　life　more　interesting。　Once　rested　and　restored…it　would　indeed　be　time　for　The　Stainless　Steel　Rat　to　ride　again！



1