bill_the_galactic_hero_v1.1-第20节

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e　race　through　tunnels；　down　stairs；　ladders；　and　oily　tubes；　until　they　reached　a　dusty；　deserted　area　where　the　dim　lights　were　few　and　far　between。　Litvok　pried　a　manhole　up　from　the　floor；　and　they　dropped　down　one　by　one；　to　crawl　through　a　cable　and　tube　tunnel　between　levels。　Schmutzig　and　Sporco　came　last　to　pick　up　the　sausages　that　fell　from　Bill's　aching　back。　　inally；　through　a　pried…out　grill；　they　reached　their　coal…black　destination；　and　Bill　collapsed　onto　the　rubble…covered　floor。　With　cries　of　greed　the　others　stripped　Bill　of　his　cargo；　and　within　a　minute　a　fire　was　crackling　in　a　metal　wastebasket　and　the　green　redhots　were　toasting　on　a　rack。
　　　The　delicious　smell　of　roasting　chlorophyll　roused　Bill；　and　he　looked　around　with　interest。　By　the　flickering　firelight　he　saw　that　they　were　in　an　immense　chamber　that　vanished　into　the　gloom　in　all　directions。　Thick　pillars　supported　the　ceiling　and　the　city　above；　while　between　them　loomed　immense　piles　and　heaps　of　all　sizes。　The　old　man；　Sporco；　walked　over　to　the　nearest　heap　and　wrenched　something　free。　When　he　returned　Bill　could　see　that　he　had　sheets　of　paper　that　he　began　to　feed　one　by　one　into　the　fire。　One　of　the　sheets　fell　near　Bill　and　he　saw；　before　he　stuffed　it　into　the　flames；　that　it　was　a　government　form　of　some　kind；　yellow　with　age。　
　　Though　Bill　had　never　enjoyed　Chlora…fillies；　he　relished　them　now。　Appetite　was　the　sauce；　and　the　burning　paper　added　a　new　taste　tang。　They　washed　the　sausages　down　with　rusty　water　from　a　pail　kept　under　a　permanent　drip　from　a　pipe　and　feasted　like　kings。　This　is　the　good　life；　Bill　thought；　pulling　another　filly　from　the　fire　and　blowing　on　it；　good　food；　good　drink；　good　panions。　A　free　man。　
　　Litvok　and　the　old　one　were　already　asleep　on　beds　of　crumpled　paper　when　the　other　man；　Schmutzig；　sidled　over　to　Bill。
　　　〃Have　you　found　my　ID　card？〃　he　asked　in　a　hoarse　whisper；　and　Bill　realized　the　man　was　mad。　The　flames　reflected　eerily　from　the　cracked　lenses　of　his　glasses；　and　Bill　could　see　that　they　had　silver　frames　and　must　have　once　been　very　expensive。　Around　Schmutzig's　neck；　half　hidden　by　his　ragged　beard；　was　the　cracked　remains　of　a　collar　and　the　tom　shard　of　a　once　fine　cravat。
　　〃No　I　haven't　seen　your　ID　card；〃　Bill　said；　〃in　fact　I　haven't　seen　mine　since　the　first　sergeant　took　it　away　from　me　and　forgot　to　give　it　back。〃　Bill　began　to　feel　song　for　himself　again；　and　the　foul　frankfurters　were　sitting　like　lead　in　his　stomach。　Schmutzig　ignored　his　answer；　immersed　as　he　was　in　his　own　far　more　interesting　monomania。　
　　〃I'm　an　important　man；　you　know；　Schmutzig　von　Dreck　is　a　man　to　be　reckoned　with；　they'll　find　out。　They　think　they　can　get　away　with　this；　but　they　can't。　An　error　they　said；　just　a　simple　error；　the　tape　in　the　records　section　broke；　and　when　they　repaired　it　a　little　weensy　bit　got　snipped　out；　and　that　was　the　piece　with　my　record　on　it；　and　the　first　I　heard　about　it　was　when　my　pay　didn't　arrive　at　the　end　of　the　month　and　I　went　to　see　them　about　it　and　they　had　never　heard　of　me。　But　everyone　has　heard　of　me。　Von　Dreck　is　a　good　old　name。　I　was　an　echelon　manager　before　I　was　twenty…two　and　had　a　staff　of　356　under　me　in　the　Staple　and　Paper　Clip　Division　of　the　89th　Office　Supply　Wing。　So　they　couldn't　make　believe　they　never　heard　of　me；　even　if　I　had　left　my　ID　card　home　in　my　other　suit；　and　they　had　no　reason　clearing　everything　out　of　my　apartment　while　I　was　away　just　because　it　was　rented　to　what　they　said　was　an　imaginary　person。　I　could　have　proven　who　I　was　if　I　had　my　ID　card　。　。　。　have　you　seen　my　ID　card？〃
　　This　is　where　I　came　in；　Bill　thought；　then　aloud；　〃That　sure　sounds　rough。　I'll　tell　you　what　I'll　do；　I'll　help　you　look　for　it。　I'll　go　down　here　and　see　if　I　can　find　it。〃
　　Before　the　softheaded　Schmutzig　could　answer　Bill　had　slipped　away　between　the　mountainous　stacks　of　old　files；　very　proud　of　himself　for　having　outwitted　a　middle…aged　nut：　He　was　feeling　pleasantly　full　and　tired　and　didn't　want　to　be　bothered　again。　What　he　needed　was　a　good　night's　rest；　then　in　the　morning　he　would　think　about　this　mess；　maybe　figure　a　way　out　of　it。　Feeling　his　way　along　the　cluttered　aisle　he　put　a　long　distance　between　himself　and　the　other　deplanned　before　climbing　up　on　a　tottering　stack　of　paper　and　from　that　clambering　to　a　still　higher　one。　He　sighed　with　relief；　arranged　a　little　pile　of　paper　for　a　pillow　and　closed　his　eyes。　
　　Then　the　lights　came　on　in　rows　high　up　on　the　ceiling　of　the　warehouse　and　shrill　police　whistles　sounded　from　all　sides　and　guttural　shouts　that　set　him　to　shivering　with　fear。
　　〃Grab　that　one！　Don't　let　him　get　away！〃　
　　〃I　got　the　horse　thief！〃
　　〃You　planless　bowbs　have　stolen　your　last　Chlora…filly！　It's　the　uranium…salt　mines　on　Zana…2　for　you！〃　Then；　〃Do　we　have　them　all…？〃　and　as　Bill　lay　clutching　desperately　at　the　forms；　with　his　heart　thudding　with　fear；　the　answer　finally　came。　
　　〃Yeah；　four　of　them；　we　been　watching　them　for　a　long　time；　ready　to　pull　them　in　if　they　tried　anything　like　this。〃　　　〃But　we　only　got　three　here。〃
　　〃I　saw　the　fourth　one　earlier；　getting　carried　off　stiff　as　a　board　by　a　sanitation　robot。〃
　　〃Affirm；　then　let's　go。〃　　
　Fear　lashed　through　Bill　again。　How　long　before　one　of　the　bunch　talked；　ratted　to　buy　a　favor　for　himself；　and　told　the　cops　that　they　had　just　sworn；　in　a　new　recruit？　He　had　to　get　out　of　here。　All　the　police　now　seemed　to　be　bunched　at　the　wienie　roast；　and　he　had　to　take　a　chance。　Sliding　from　the　pile　as　silently　as　he　could；　he　began　to　creep　in　the　opposite　direction。　If　there　was　no　exit　this　way　he　was　trapped…no；　mustn't　think　like　that！　Behind　him　whistles　shrilled　again；　and　he　knew　the　hunt　was　on。　Adrenalin　poured　into　his　bloodstream　as　he　spurted　forward；　while　rich；　equine　protein　added　strength　to　his　legs　and　a　decided　canter　to　his　gait。　Ahead　was　a　door；　and　he　hurled　his　weight　against　it；　for　an　instant　it　stuck…then　squealed　open　on　rusty　hinges。　Heedless　of　danger；　he　hurled　himself　down　the　spiral　staircase；　down　and　down；　and　out　of　another　door；　fleeing　wildly；　thinking　only　of　escape。　
　　Once　more；　with　the　instincts　of　a　hunted　animal；　he　fled　downward。　He　did　not　notice　that　the　walls　here　were　bolted　together　at　places　and　streaked　with　rust；　nor　did　he　think　it　unusual　when　he　had　to　pry　open　a　jammed　wooden　doorwood　on　a　planet　that　had　not　seen　a　tree　in　a　hundred　millenia！　The　air　was　danker　and　foul　at　times；　and　his　fearridden　course　took　him　through　a　stone　tunnel　where　nameless　beasts　fled　before　him　with　the　rattle　of　evil　claws。　There　were　long　stretches　now　doomed　to　eternal　darkness　where　he　had　to　feel　his　way；　running　his　fingers　along　the　repellent　and　slimy　moss　covered　walls。　Where　there　were　lights　they　glowed　but　dimly　behind　their　burdens　of　spider　webs　and　insect　corpses。　He　splashed　through　pools　of　stagnant　water　until；　slowly；　the　strangeness　of　his　surroundings　penetrated；　and　he　blinked　about　him。　Set　into　the　floor　beneath　his　feet　was　another　door；　and；　still　gripped　by　the　reflex　of　flight；　he　threw　it　open；　but　it　led　nowhere。　Instead　it　gave　access　to　a　bin　of　some　kind　of　granulated　material；　not　unlike　coarse　sugar。　Though　it　might　just　as　well　be　insulation。　It　could　be　edible：　he　bent　and　picked　some　up　between　his　fingers　and　ground　it　between　his　teeth。　No；　not　edible；　he　spat　it　out；　though　there　was　something　very　familiar　about　it。　Then　it　hit　him。
　　It　was　dirt。　Earth。　Soil。　Sand。　The　stuff　that　planets　were　made　out　of；　that　this　planet　was　made　out　of；　it　was　the　surface　of　Helior；　on　which　the　incredible　weight　of　the　world…embracing　city　rested。　He　looked　up；　and　in　that　unspeakable　moment　was　suddenly　aware　of　that　weight；　all　that　weight；　above　his　head；　pressing　down　and　trying　to　crush　him。　Now　he　was　on　the　bottom；　rock　bottom；　and　obsessed　by　galloping　claustrophobia。　Giving　a　weak　scream；　he　stumbled　down　the　hallway　until　it　ended　in　an　immense　sealed　and　bolted　door。　There　was　no　way　out　of　this。　And　when　he　looked　at　the　blackened　thickness　of　the　door　he　decided　that　he　really　didn't　want　to　go　out　that　way　either。　What　nameless　horrors　might　lurk　behind　a　portal　like　this　at　the　bottom　of　the　world？
　　Then；　while　he　watched；　paralyzed；　with　staring　eyes；　the　door　squealed　and　started　to　swing　open。　He　turned　to　run　and　screamed　aloud　in　terror　as　something　grabbed　him　in　an　unbreakable　grip。

V

　　　Not　that　Bill　didn't　try　to　break　the　grip；　but　it　was　hopeless。　He　wriggled　in　the　skeleton…white　claws　that　clutched　him　and　tried　futilely　to　pry　them　from　his　arms；　all　the　time　uttering　helpless　little　bleats　like　a　lamb　in　an　eagle's　talons。　Thrashing　ineffectually；　he　was　drawn　backward　through　the　mighty　portal　which　swung　shut　without　the　agency　of　human　hands。　
　　〃Wele。　。　。〃　a　sepulchral　voice　said；　and　Bill　staggered　as　the　restraining　grasp　was　removed；　then　whirled　about　to　face　the　large　white　robot；　now　immobile。　Next　to　the　robot　stood　a　small　man　in　a　white　jacket　who　sported　a　large；　bald　head　and　a　serious　expression。　
　　〃You　don't　have　to　tell　me　your　name；〃　the　small　man　said；　〃not　unless　you　want　to。　But　I　am　Inspector　Jeyes。　Have　y